The Kelownan Incident
by BlameItOnTheNaquadah
Summary: An old friend of the SGC needs help. Who's he gonna call? SG-1 of course! Plenty of Vala and Daniel, but also the rest of the gang are all here too, as this one's more of an adventure story. A couple of references to 'The Trouble with Archaeologists', but you don't need to have read that first at all. Hope that you enjoy it! One chapter later on may have a higher rating - beware!
1. Chapter 1 Dr Jackson Does It Again

**Sadly, I don't own Stargate SG-1, or any of the lovely characters therein. More's the pity. I just LOVE making up stories for them in my slightly wacky bonce, and sharing them on here, with you :-)**

**Any errors - please forgive me, and just go with the flow! **

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**Chapter 1:- Doctor Jackson Does It Again.**

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Daniel was going to Atlantis. The reviews and referrals and committee meetings and all of the other nonsense that went on when these things were decided was over. The powers that be, over in the Pegasus galaxy and the ones nearer to home at the SGC had permitted it after all this time. The next time the _George Hammond_ went for a spin over in that direction he would be aboard. Three months, they'd given him – three months to play with all of the pretty artefacts and writings over in the City of the Ancients. He was in seventh heaven.

There was only one problem with his master plan. The transfer had only been agreed for himself. His whacky, alien, space pirate team mate-slash-girlfriend was not invited. Not enough spaces left for another personnel exchange had been the official statement on the matter. Plus, there were no forms or referrals or reviews for Ms Mal Doran – probably because she hadn't filled any forms in. Or asked anyone to refer her. Maybe because Daniel hadn't told her that he was going.

The main reason he hadn't told her was because truthfully, Dr Jackson had failed on so many numerous occasions to get over to Atlantis that he hadn't really thought that this time would be any different. He'd assumed that this attempt would go south like all of the other attempts had over the years. When Jack had rung him two hours previously, giving him a heads up on the good news, the good doctor had been ecstatic. Barely able to speak he had stammered out his thanks, grinning like a lunatic and haphazardly shoving books around one-handedly while nodding and beaming down the phone. Thirty seconds after hanging up on Jack reality hit him and his stomach dropped like a stone.

He was going to Atlantis.

Without Vala.

* * *

She was in her room, screwing up her nose at herself in the mirror and twirling her hair around her curling tongs with one hand while trying to break a chocolate bar apart with the other. She popped a chunk into her mouth, rubbed her nose and ended up with chocolate on the end of it. She licked her finger and wiped off the chocolate. She was humming a little tune to herself – Daniel felt a lump forming in his throat. How on earth could he tell her his news? His head dropped and he put one hand up to his glasses. The movement caught her eye in the mirror and she swung around, grinning at him.

"Daniel!" the warmth in her voice was genuine and her eyes lit up when she saw him. She tossed the curlers onto the table and rushed over to him, putting her arms around his waist and standing on tiptoe to kiss his oh–so–kissable mouth. He returned the kiss, as best he could, but after a few seconds she pulled away, frowning.

"What's the matter?" she asked, eyes crinkling with concern.

"Well, the hair curlers for one thing." Daniel indicated the still very-much -plugged in hair tongs which were dangling precariously off of the table about to fall onto the pillow and probably set fire to it.

"Whoops!" the space pirate giggled and set them straight, unplugging them too. She looked back at her team mate. "What is it?"

Silence stretched for a few moments. Daniel, for once in his life, just couldn't find the words. Eventually he made some weird gesticulations with his hands and pulled her to him, holding her as close as he possibly could. He buried his face in her glorious, flowing black hair and inhaled the smell of her. They stood like that for several minutes before he managed to pull himself together and blurt out – "I have something to tell you."

Vala looked up at him apprehensively. Her grey eyes were troubled, but clear. She looked searchingly into his blue ones – he couldn't hold her gaze and looked away, pulling her down onto the bed beside him.

"Have I been bad?" she whispered. "Really, that business with the donkey wasn't my fault – not entirely – Cameron was the main instigator, really he was. And Walter had a bet running on it – whether it would end up red or blue, so we had to try, really we did. And the man said he wouldn't press charges. Plus Jack said I was his girl, for being the only one who bet on it coming back purple, which it did! So he won lots of money. So he wasn't cross at all, and if he wasn't angry then General Landry couldn't really complain, could he? Unless you're talking about the business with the rowing machine."

"Vala." Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just – just hush a minute. Please."

The alien – HIS alien – sat with her hands in his, biting her lip in that endearing way that she had. Now or never, thought the archaeologist. Now or never.

"I'm going to Atlantis," he said, gently. Silence.

"Is that all?" she queried. Daniel shook his head.

"I mean, I'm transferring temporarily to Atlantis. For three months."

"Oh," Vala looked thoughtful. "Well, that's alright. I mean, it'll be a bit boring I suppose – stuck in the middle of a giant puddle with people like Rodney McKay for company. Although Sheppard is rather nice, and I like that Ronon chap – he's fit, although not as fit as you, obviously.."

"Vala!" Daniel had to stop her mid-flow. He squeezed her hands. "It's just me. It's just me who's going to Atlantis. You're not on the transfer list."

She blinked, looking uncertainly at him, searching his face. Again, he had to look away. He thought that she would be able to see the self-loathing that he was beginning to feel, deep down in his soul, if she carried on watching him. How could he have applied for the transfer without telling her? He should have told her his plans from the beginning. He should never have kept it from her.

"Can I go on the transfer list now?" she asked in a small voice, trying to catch his eye.

"It's too late." Daniel looked back at her. "Vala – I'm so sorry! I never thought that it would work this time! I've always been so unlucky before, I never guessed that this time they would say yes! I swear .." he dropped to his knees in front of her. "I promise you – if I'd thought that the powers that be would agree I'd have made you apply too. I wouldn't have gone without you, Vala, I give you my word."

She didn't reply at once. Her brow was furrowed, but she continued to look straight into Daniel's eyes. Her own were clear but puzzled.

"I can visit though, can't I? I mean, I know it takes time on the _Hammond_, and Landry makes a fuss about creating unnecessary wormholes, but I can…."

She trailed away. Her face hardened. The shutters crashed down behind those beautiful, stormy eyes. Daniel's heart was sinking, down, down, down into his boots. He felt physically sick.

"The _Hammond _is a working vessel, Vala – even though Sam's in charge of it, you can't just use it as your own private spaceship. But the weekly wormhole between here and Atlantis will still continue. We can talk to each other through that."

"With everyone else listening?" Vala's voice rose. She pushed his hands away and stood up. "We can have a jolly chatty chin-wag, _once a week_.." she spat out the words, "with the entire SGC and population of Atlantis listening to us? How long did you say that you were going for?"

"Three months." Daniel stood up as well. "Please Vala – just think – three months is nothing, it's no time at all. I'll be back before you know it…"

"Three months!" she shouted. "You were going to leave me for three months and not even tell me? Would you just have left me to find out on my own? When you didn't turn up for an SG-1 briefing one morning?"

Her eyes were like chips of ice, sparking and spitting freezing cold fire at him. Her hands were clenched at her sides. The archaeologist had no words. His guilt was drowning him. He moved his hands despairingly.

"I'll make it up to you…" he began to say but with a small scream she rushed at him, hitting him hard on his chest with both of her hands, pushing him backwards, again and again until he hit the wall behind them.

Vala was panting, face flushed with fury, eyes bright with anger. Daniel thought that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen in his life. Then, in an instant, she changed. Backing away from him she shook her hair from her face and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well," she turned back to the hair curlers. "It was fun while it lasted. I've got better things to do than wait around for you, darling. Have fun with McKay. I'll see you when you get back. Maybe."

And that was it. He'd lost her. She'd put that damn shield up again, the one that she'd been hiding behind for most of her life. The one that had been slowly dropping away since she began working at the SGC. Single-handedly, in the space of a few minutes, the amazing Dr Jackson had ruined all of the previous good work that he and the rest of his team had spent the last three years or so accomplishing. As if to prove it, Vala looked up at him in the mirror and gave him that wide, false smile, the one which never reached her eyes, the one that he hated. Because it meant that he'd lost her. Again.

There was nothing that he could say. He took a step towards her, but she pouted and lifted her shoulder.

"Go away, Daniel, I'm busy. Go and get ready for Atlantis."

He swallowed, nodded, then turned and left.

"Shut the door!" she called after him. He closed it quietly. On the other side, Vala put down the curlers and sat in silence, perfectly still, for a very long time.

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**More soon. **


	2. Chapter 2 Issues and Epiphanies

**Okay - I've put the next chapter up a little bit earlier than usual. Mainly because this chapter finishes off the little mini-story which began in chapter 1, so it gets it all out of the way before the main action starts.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2 Issues and Epiphanies.**

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The _George Hammond_ was in orbit around Earth. The ship had been up there for about three days now, transferring goods and equipment and all other sorts of paraphernalia up and down between itself and earth. Another day and they would be good to go – heading off towards Atlantis.

Daniel had packed up all of his books and photographs, his laptop, his spare glasses – even Jonas's fish were coming. He felt a duty to look after them – Jonas had meant a lot to SG-1, and had been a true friend while he himself had been gone. Dr Jackson sat down heavily at his desk, took off his glasses and laid his head down on his arms. He felt terrible. Not ill-terrible, just terrible-terrible. Like someone had ripped his insides out and thrown them into an open wormhole.

Vala had not spoken a single word to him since he had dropped his bombshell. At first he thought it was best – let her come around to it in her own time and she would see that it would all be fine. Three months was no time at all, he'd soon be home, everything would be okay and nothing need change. He quickly realised that she wasn't going to come around to it – either in her own time or anybody else's. If he came into the cafeteria she left by another exit. If he saw her in the corridor she turned and went in the opposite direction. At SG-1 briefings she sat silently in her chair, huddled down, not looking at him. He'd tried to speak to her there, in the conference room – when she answered him she directed her words either at General Landry or Cameron.

The longer it went on the harder he felt it was to say anything to her. He knew that he was in the wrong – he went over and over in his mind how he_ should_ have handled it, what he should have said to her. How he should never have applied for the transfer in the first place, not without telling her. Again and again he replayed in his mind that day in her room when he'd eventually confessed – the look on her face and the way that she'd turned her back on him. He'd done that. He'd hurt her. Yet again, the selfish Dr Jackson had wanted to do something and expected everyone around him to be happy about it.

Daniel lifted his head and rubbed his eyes wearily. Tomorrow he was leaving. The _Hammond _was ske-daddling across the galaxy with him inside it. And he had never felt less like wanting to get on board.

* * *

Samantha Carter turned away from Vala's door. No answer. But a lengthy and emotional conversation with Daniel earlier on in the day had brought her here now, and she was damned if she was going to leave again without talking to her friend.

Carter had known that something was up the minute that she'd been able to escape the _Hammond_ and beam down to the SGC. Daniel's face wore that pinched look, the one where he frowned nearly all the time. It hadn't taken him long to confess what had happened, Sam felt like yelling at him but that wouldn't have helped. Not when he was already beating himself up about it, better than she could ever have managed.

Vala, when she eventually found her sitting underneath the Stargate lasted about two minutes before dissolving into floods of tears. Sam was shocked. It was rare for the alien to cry, even more so to lose it in such a spectacular way. She had leaned her head against the colonel, put her arms around her and sobbed her heart out. Sam had just hugged her close, stroking her hair and whispering little words of comfort while she waited for the deluge to stop. Eventually Vala had recovered sufficiently to stammer out what had gone on between her and the archaeologist.

"Y'know, I think that he's very, very sorry that he didn't tell you," Sam whispered to her friend, who just hunched her shoulders and lowered her head. "He feels awful. He knows that he went about it all the wrong way – Vala, just because he's going to Atlantis it_ doesn't _mean that he no longer loves you! Anyone who knows either of you can see how much you mean to him."

The alien sat without moving for a good minute or so. Her face was so sad that Sam felt tears prickling in her own eyes. When Vala spoke, she was so quiet that Carter could barely hear her.

"Perhaps he does still love me," she said, heartbrokenly. "But it's not just that." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "He's leaving me, Samantha. He's leaving me, like everyone else all my life has left me. In the end, I'm always left alone."

Carter hugged her friend fiercely to her. It broke her heart to think of what Vala's life must have been like in the past. And it said something about how bad she must be feeling at the moment – it was rare indeed for the alien to permit even one hug in a day.

"I realise that you think that's what he's doing, but believe me – I'm one hundred percent sure that Daniel never considered it in that way. You know what he's like, c'mon now…" she paused and looked into her friend's face, "in your heart, really, you _know_ that wasn't his intention. Because of what you've had to put up with in the past, it's natural that you'd think he was abandoning you initially. But Vala – look at me!"

She turned herself to face the other woman, who slowly lifted her chin and looked up at her. "You know that Daniel loves you – he_ adores _you! It's different to before. It's horrible to be apart from him, but it's going to be awful for him to be apart from you too. Sure, he's excited to be going, but he's gutted to be doing it without you! You have to forgive him Vala – be the strong woman that we know you truly are. You have to forgive him before he goes or it'll destroy the both of you. And I love the pair of you too much for that to happen."

The two women sat in silence for a long time. Vala was leaning against Sam's arm – the colonel held her friend's hand in her own, just rubbing the back of her fingers over and over. Eventually the ex-space pirate sighed softly.

"I was angry," she said quietly. "I'll find him now. Before I change my mind again."

"Good girl!" Sam squeezed the hand she held briefly. "He's in his office – I just came from there."

Her friend nodded and stood up awkwardly – space was a little cramped, hiding down under the Stargate.

"You won't leave before I say goodbye, will you?" she asked the colonel. "Only – I miss you too when you're not here. I wish that I could come with you."

"I miss you too – you know that I do." Sam stood and pulled her into a quick hug. "Now go and find him, quick!"

Vala walked away, slowly at first, before she broke into a run as she hit the corridor and headed for the elevators.

Panic had hit her suddenly. What if she was too late? What if the _Hammond_ had beamed him aboard already? What if he'd gone thinking that she didn't love him anymore?

She hurtled out of the elevator and down the corridor towards his office. Empty. She was aghast. Her heart leaped into her throat. Was she too late?

"Daniel!" she shouted, suddenly not caring who heard her, not bothered for once what other people thought. "Daniel! DANIEL!"

She screamed it down the corridor. And suddenly he was there – rushing out of the bathroom, struggling with his belt, stumbling over his own feet. She threw herself at him, holding onto him as if she was drowning and he was a rock to cling to. He dragged her into his office, and kicked the door shut, and held her so tightly that she could barely breathe. He kissed and kissed and kissed her, she sobbed against his mouth but it was Daniel's tears that she could feel on her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," he wept, when he eventually dragged his mouth from her's. "I never thought, never considered that you would think that I was abandoning you. That it would make you think of being left and not loved. That you were worthless. Vala…"

"Ssshh." She put her finger gently against his lips. In that moment something changed in her. Yes she was still the wacky, emotional alien-with-issues but there, looking up at Daniel and seeing how much that he really loved her, she understood for the first time that he wasn't abandoning her. He would _never_ abandon her, not while he drew breath – living apart for three months would not be pleasant but they would manage. They would manage because they loved each other.

"It's alright, Daniel, really it is." She smiled up at him, through her tears, but it was a genuine little grin. "I'll be alright. I'll talk to you down the wormhole every Friday. I don't care who hears what we say to each other. And it's only three months. I'll be good, I promise I will."

Daniel's voice stuck in his throat. He didn't know how he could have resisted her for as long as she did. Her fragile, gentle trust was a gift that he barely deserved. He pulled her in close and held her against him for a long time. Vala, having had her mini-epiphany, was starting to look on the bright side of things and continued to talk at him.

"And of course, I'll keep you up to date with Walter's bets. And Jack will look after me, I'm sure. And Teal'c's coming back next week – so we can do all sorts of stuff together, like go to the gym and O'Malley's and the movies. And watch DVD's and eat ice cream. And Cameron will still be here, so SG-1 can still go off-world and be busy, and I can tell you all about it when you check in. And if I start saying any naughty stuff Walter gets embarrassed anyway and he might go away and I can talk _really_ naughty stuff to you. And I could tell you if I've got my new underwear…."

"Hey!" Daniel broke in on her barrage of verbal-ocity. "That's one thing I'm banning you from doing – you are _not_ discussing what you're wearing under your BDU's through the wormhole."

He grinned against her hair. She burrowed into him as closely as she could.

"We have seventeen hours until the _Hammond_ leaves," Daniel whispered. "what would you like to do until then?"

Vala touched his cheek gently with her fingers.

"Wait here." A naughty little smile spread across her face. "I'm just going to go and get my handcuffs!"

* * *

It was the following morning. 09.00 hours. Daniel was down in the gate room, rucksack on his back, glasses polished, ready to leave. Sam stood next to him, fiddling with some little piece of equipment that she had in her hands. Everyone else was up on board already.

Vala stood at the window in the control room, as close as she could get. She never took her eyes away from the archaeologist.

Be brave, she said to herself, be brave. It'll all be okay. Be brave now, for Daniel.

He glanced up at her again. She looked very small, gazing down at him. She smiled – not that horrible, calculating grin which she still turned out sometimes, but the sweet one that reached her eyes and made them crinkle. He smiled back although he thought it was a good thing that he didn't have to speak to her. His voice didn't seem to be working quite properly.

"Okay Walter!" Sam called up to the control room. "Standby!"

She spoke into her radio.

"_Hammond, _this is Colonel Carter. Two to bring aboard."

She looked up at the control room where her friend stood and smiled. Vala gave them both a thumbs up.

"_Hammond _here. Roger that Colonel Carter_. _Standby."

There was a brief pause. Daniel looked once more up at his soul-mate. She was biting her lip, but still smiling. The last thing he saw she was doing the window washer wave down at him and Sam. Then he felt the tingle of the transport beam and the next thing the two of them were standing on the bridge of the _George Hammond_.

* * *

Vala leaned her forehead against the glass of the control room. They were gone.

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**There you go! I really couldn't leave poor Vala and Daniel not speaking to each other for too long - they love each other too much :-) Next chapter up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3 A Message From Kelowna

**Chapter 3 A Message From Kelowna**

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**Bear with me - I'm not 100% sure about all the technicalities relating to wormholes - just go with the flow and enjoy the story!**

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It was just over a week since Daniel had left for Atlantis. Vala had been very good and not cried once – not when anybody could see her anyway. The previous Friday a wormhole had been established between the two Stargates and after the usual official conversations General Landry had turned to where she was hovering by the doorway and beckoned her into the control room.

"You're turn," he'd said, with a nod, and much to her surprise he and Walter, and all of the other personnel there left the room. "Ten minutes," he'd told her over his shoulder. "and not a second longer. It's more than my job's worth, leaving you alone in here for too long."

Vala had nodded, feeling rather emotional already and sat down, almost immediately hearing Daniel's voice on the other end of the wormhole. There was so much to talk about – he'd wanted to tell her all about Atlantis, and she'd wanted him to hear about her new black satin nightdress, and about Cameron getting bitten on the backside on P4Y-121 by a creature that looked like a giant guinea pig. He'd laughed for a good minute after that – Vala had started shouting at him to stop, he was wasting all of their talking time. Then he'd said again how sorry he was, and how much he missed her, and how he was never _ever_ going to go anywhere without her again. And she'd rubbed her eyes hard and told him that she loved him and she'd be here when he came home, and she was going to buy a new set of furry handcuffs from Victoria's Secret, so that he couldn't get away again even if he tried. That had made him laugh, and he told her he'd bring her back a present from Atlantis which perked her up a little, then Walter was at the door and their time was up. Vala had blown kisses at him through the wormhole, not caring in the end that the entire SGC was probably listening, and the last thing that Daniel had said again as the connection closed was that he loved her.

She'd tiptoed away then, face beginning to pucker, until she met Cameron and his sore backside in the corridor. He put his arms around her and squeezed her tight and told her she was coming to O'Malley's with him that night to keep him company standing very much upright at the bar. So she'd cheered up and skipped away and the week had continued to pass by slowly but surely.

* * *

It was now well into the following week and SG-1 were sitting around the briefing table – Cameron, Teal'c, Vala and their new young recruit Lieutenant Simon Redwell – a bright eyed twenty-something airman with twinkling brown eyes and a cheery grin. They'd all taken to him immediately.

"So," General Landry was casting his eyes over the report in front of him. "Jonas Quinn has contacted us with some interesting news form Kelowna – he's heard several rumours about a Lucian Alliance operative working out of there. Just vague information, but all of the informants'are naming the same area of the country. One of them is a scientist who Jonas once worked with in the city, on that damned naquadria project which caused so much trouble."

Teal'c frowned. Cameron pulled a face.

"It will be very good to see JonasQuinn again though," said the Jaffa. "He is a good and honourable man who served the SGC well during his time in exile on Earth."

"Well, it's lucky that you feel that way Teal'c," said Landry, lifting his eyebrows at the team. "Because you'll all be on your way there at this time tomorrow. No big fuss, no noise and explosions, no fighting…" he looked pointedly at Mitchell who looked affronted. "Just a bit of re-con and scouting around. Quietly. If these rumours are correct and the Lucian Alliance are involved then we don't want them to get wind that we're on to them."

"What do you think they're doing there sir?" asked Cam, shifting the weight on to his one good bum cheek. "Trying to muscle in on the government? Cause a coup or sumthin'? The peace treaty on Kelowna hasn't been in place for too long – maybe the Alliance is trying to get a foothold there."

Landry shook his head and Vala spoke up.

"Cameron, darling, think about it. Kelowna's a planet bursting to the brim with that lovely little mineral called naquadria. If I was a member of the Lucian Alliance, I'd want to get myself a supply of that, wouldn't you? If you had the right scientist for the job, then they'd make you a lovely, big, very radio-active bomb or weapon in no time at all."

"Exactly!" Landry looked serious. "The last thing that _anybody _needs is the Lucian Alliance getting their dirty hands on some naquadria."

They all fell quiet for few moments. It didn't bear thinking about.

"Soooooo…." Mitchell flicked through his notes again. " 09.00 hours tomorrow – sounds good to me sir."

"Glad that you approve." Landry raised his eyes at the colonel who smirked unrepentantly. "Good luck, SG-1. Behave yourselves."

They all stood as the General left, then made their own way out of the conference room.

"So Redwell," Cam clapped the young man on the shoulder. "First off-world mission huh?"

"Yessir!" the Lieutenant was practically bouncing. "I'm really looking forward to it!"

"Good!" Mitchell winked at Teal'c behind Redwell's head. "We'll try not to kill you off too soon."

The new recruit stopped in his tracks, paused, then laughed.

"Nice joke, sir!" he chuckled. The other members' of SG-1 joined in.

"Thanks," said Cam, before adding wickedly, "I'm not joking!"

The poor man's face was a picture. Vala had to make Teal'c stop so that she could giggle behind him unseen. Mitchell, grinning, carried on towards the cafeteria pulling the unfortunate Redwell with him. The other two fell behind.

"How are you feeling, ValaMalDoran?" the Jaffa asked his team mate.

"Absolutely fine," lied the ex-space pirate, doing her Cheshire cat smile. Her friend said nothing, merely carried on watching her. He stopped walking. Vala sighed, and stopped too.

"Well, not exactly fine." She stood, fiddling with the buttons on her shirt. "But not exactly terrible either. I mean, I'm alright I suppose. Yes, I'm alright."

She looked up at Teal'c, who was watching her intently. He bowed slightly.

"Indeed, ValaMalDoran, I believe that you are alright." A small smile played around his lips. "You are a great credit to yourself at this time, perhaps you do not realise it. DanielJackson will be immensely proud of you."

Vala rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully, trying to hide the fat tears which were teetering on the edge of her eyelids.

"Stop it now, Muscles," she whispered huskily. She cleared her throat. "Come on – race you to the cafeteria!" and she was off and legging it up the corridor towards the elevators.

Teal'c smiled, looked around to check that General Landry was back safely in his office, then raced after her.

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**Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. More very soon! **


	4. Chapter 4 Right Place, Wrong Time

**Chapter 4 Right Place, Wrong Time.**

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SG-1 gated through to Kelowna on the following day and met Jonas Quinn at the rendezvous point with no problems. Teal'c greeted his ex-team member with real pleasure, introducing the others to him at once. Everyone liked the friendly, fresh-faced, upbeat Kelownan immediately.

"It's great to see you all here!" he smiled, with genuine warmth. "I mean, I love being back on my home planet, but sometimes, well, I miss those adventures I had with the SGC. All that running around the galaxy, flying spaceships and fighting the Gou'ald." He sighed, reminiscently. "Remember that time I fell into that huge tank that was full of symbiotes?"

Teal'c smiled. "Indeed I do, JonasQuinn. You proved yourself on many occasions to be a true friend to the Tau'ri."

The group moved away from the Stargate and headed through the complex towards a briefing room.

"How are my fish doing?" asked Jonas, smiling. Vala couldn't help but smile back. There was something very endearing about the cheerful scientist.

"Daniel's taken them for a holiday to Atlantis," she told him. "He looks after them very well. I don't think he trusted me to take care of them while he was gone."

She gave a tiny sigh and looked away. Jonas looked at her quizzically. A faint pink blush spread across her cheeks. Cameron came up behind them.

"Vala is Jackson's best girl," he teased, pinching her cheek. She stuck out her tongue at the colonel. Realisation dawned on the other man's face.

"Oh – right," he smiled warmly. "I didn't know that Dr Jackson…"

"Why should you?" Vala linked arms with Jonas and flounced away from Mitchell, sticking her nose up in the air. "It's _nobody's_ business except Daniel's and mine. Even if half of the SGC had bets on whether we would or wouldn't. Get it together I mean. You know. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Which is what we are. Because we're not military. So we can you-know-what in any you-know-where and Landry can't tell us off. Well not really. Well not officially. And Mitchell's just jealous because he likes Dr Lam and he's too scared to do anything about it."

"I am not!" griped Cameron, scowling. "I mean, I'm not scared! That is, if I _did_ like Carolyn in that way I wouldn't be scared! You'll be putting a bet on me next!"

"I already have a bet on you," Vala winked at Jonas. "So does General Landry."

"What?!" Mitchell exploded. His team mate giggled loudly. Jonas shook his head, bemused.

"Don't worry," said the ex-space pirate. "I'll fill you in about it all later."

"Er – great!" said the scientist. "Who's Dr Lam?"

* * *

The following day SG-1 set out via an odd little Kelownan airship to an area about two hundred miles north east of the capital city. They all wore civilian clothing – "No chance giving away anything more than we have to," Mitchell had said. "If we're spotted by anyone from the Alliance they won't guess necessarily who we are."

The weather was damp and foggy – as they flew across the country it was impossible to see the ground below them.

"How high are we flying?" shouted Cameron to Jonas, who was in the co-pilot's seat.

"About five hundred feet," answered the scientist, only flicking his eyes away from the controls for a moment. "Sorry, our Kelownan aircraft industry has nothing to offer that's as high-tech as an X-302!"

Lt Redwell pointed ahead. Above the fog some way in front of them rose the top of a mountain range.

"What's that, sir?" he asked Jonas.

"That's where we're headed," he answered. "Or rather, the foothills at the bottom. There's an old naquadria mine there – it was shut up during the hostilities on Kelowna and as yet hasn't been reopened. Rumour has it that there are still some good veins of the mineral down there though."

Mitchell nodded.

"Pretty cut off too, I'll bet," he said. "Easy for the Alliance to hide out without anyone even knowing they're here."

"Exactly!" Jonas nodded.

They all fell silent again, watching as the mountains gradually came nearer. Eventually the little airship began to descend through the clouds and they could see nothing but whiteness. Vala sighed and leaned back in her seat, bored. Cameron pulled his "Behave yourself!" face at her. He was still on his feet – his rear end was taking a surprisingly long time to recover from the giant guinea pig bite, so at the moment he preferred to leave the sitting down until the last minute.

It wasn't long before he had to join the others in their seats – the ground appeared in front of them, blurred and misty, and the airship bumped and bounced along until it came to a neat stop. Mitchell was wincing as he stood up. Vala smirked, but took care he didn't see her.

"Okay, everybody out!" he ordered, and they all trooped off the plane.

The ambush was immediate. Weapon fire hit the ground by the small airship at once. Mitchell, Redwell, Jonas and the pilot ran for cover among the boulders. Teal'c and Vala were caught behind the plane. They ducked down behind one of the large, chubby wheels.

The boys' were returning fire as the Jaffa used his time to quickly peruse the surrounding area.

"I believe there are not many of them," he told his team mate.

"Seriously!?" she hissed, ducking from a stray blast, and trying to pull her hidden Zat gun from inside her coat. "Perhaps you should tell them that, Muscles!"

"Hush!" he put up his hand. The enemy had stopped firing, and someone was shouting across to them.

"You are on private property!" said the voice. "This land belongs to Dalton Frayne. He does not tolerate trespassers!"

Vala prodded Teal'c.

"Dalton Frayne? I know him! He's a crook. He must be working with the Alliance. He smuggles anything he can get his hands on."

Teal'c frowned.

"Like naquadria?"

"Probably."

Jonas was shouting across the no-man's land now.

"Well, sorry about that, we're just prospectors for the – for the Kelownan Mining Institute. We had no idea that this mine was still owned by anyone. We'd like to apologise – is it okay if we leave now?"

His answer was a resounding blast from somewhere over to the right.

"That's a no, then!" said Cameron. Jonas was actually smiling.

"I did tell you that I'd missed all of this," he whispered.

"What – getting your backside shot off with no hope of rescue? When your backside is already very sore?" Mitchell aimed a nicely timed Zat blast which took down one of their assailants. At the same time Lt Redwell scurried across from one boulder to another, spreading pistol fire in his wake and taking out a couple more of them. A blast from Teal'c's staff weapon split another rock off to their left – two men hiding behind it made a run for it before Cam took one of them down too. The other made it behind a line of smaller boulders.

"So Mitchell," yelled Vala, "I'm thinking that we're probably in the right place then!"

"You got it, Princess!" replied her commanding officer. "Teal'c – whatcha got?"

"I believe that there are two men still hiding in front of us," replied the Jaffa, "and at least one over on my.."

He was cut off by a sudden and unexpected blast which hit him just below his right shoulder, causing him to topple forward onto the ground. Vala initially jumped, before throwing herself beside him.

Teal'c!" she cried out, trying to turn him over and drag him behind the wheel of the airship. He was conscious and able to push himself up.

"My injury is not severe, ValaMalDoran." He was having difficulty moving his right arm however, before he could bring up his staff weapon the attacker who had hidden among the rocks came running at them. Vala Zatted him, but it wasn't a clean shot – he staggered and gasped but didn't fall. He carried on running and hit Teal'c head on. At the same time another man appeared suddenly from where he had been hidden, in a crevasse in the rocks behind them. Before she could do anything he was on top of Vala, dragging her to her feet by her hair, his other hand around her throat.

"Look what I've found," said the short, dark, curly haired man. "You owe me money, Vala Mal Doran."

"Dalton darling," she choked out. "How lovely to see you."

He dragged her from behind the airship, so that Cameron and the others' could all see her.

"I'd be careful now," called out the smuggler. "You don't want to hurt her. She's too pretty."

He stroked her face – she tried to jerk away.

"Stand still!" Mitchell shouted at her.

"It's been a pleasure," continued Dalton Frayne. "But I have to be going. There are plenty of other places to get naquadria. And Vala needs to pay what she owes me – either with money, or goods or…other means."

Vala grimaced and put out her tongue. She was still trying to pull his fingers from around her throat. The man who had been fighting Teal'c, and one other mercenary, were coming over to join them. Jonas was looking around, concerned.

"How is he going to get away?" he whispered to Mitchell. "Do you see any other vehicles? Because I don't."

Cam scouted the area briefly, realising half a second too late what was going to happen. He turned to where his team mate stood in a strangle hold with the leader of a band of smugglers. One man had arrived next to them, the other was twenty or so feet away.

The colonel fired, bringing down the man who stood on the other side of Vala, just as a ring platform materialised around her and Dalton.

"I'll find you!" he shouted despairingly, just before they disappeared. Lt Redwell had brought down the other man with a nifty shot from his pistol. "I swear it – we'll find you!"

The rings shot upwards. Vala and the smuggler were gone. Jonas and the remainder of SG-1 were left in the middle of nowhere.

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**Thanks for reading! Please review! More soon!**


	5. Chapter 5 Waiting

**Chapter 5 Waiting.**

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Five months later.

Daniel's eyes were aching as he sat in his office, piecing together one of the hieroglyphic covered artefacts that they'd brought back from Monsoon World earlier in the year. It was gone seven in the evening and he'd been working since just after 0800hours. He took his glasses off, rubbed his eyes and laid his head on the desk.

There was Vala, popping up in his mind, just like she always did when he stopped thinking about work. She was standing in the control room, doing the window washer wave, exactly as she had looked when he had last seen her. His stomach knotted, and he sighed quietly to himself. He would give anything to see her again, to hold her close to him again. Not for the first time in his life, Dr Jackson wished that he could turn back time.

Mitchell had come through to Atlantis as soon as SG-1 had arrived back from Kelowna. Daniel had heard the "unscheduled wormhole" alert but paid no attention to it, until he heard the gate technician put a call out for himself. He thought initially that it must just be a radio transmission from the SGC but as soon as he saw the Colonel standing white-faced and desolate in the centre of the control room, he knew that he was there because something had happened to Vala.

Cameron had difficulty speaking – he stammered and stumbled over the words that he was trying to say. His guilt was drowning him, guilt at being out-manoeuvred, out-smarted and at having lost their team mate. Nothing that Daniel could have said would have made him feel any worse than he already did. And what _could_ he have said? Anything like this could have happened to any of them, at any time. Indeed, it had on numerous occasions in the past. But all of those previous times, no member of the team had admitted to being in a relationship with another member. This time it was different.

Daniel had gone back to his quarters and packed up his stuff immediately, bringing with him only what he could carry and leaving the rest to be brought home by the _Hammond _at a later date. He'd gone straight back to the SGC with Mitchell and hadn't left since, apart from a weekly check on his apartment. Every SG team had followed leads and hunches – possible sightings and even impossible ones, but they all gave up the same result. Vala had vanished.

Jonas had stayed on Kelowna, and tried to discover anything and everything that he could about where Dalton Frayne may have come from, or headed off to after the encounter. One of their space satellites had picked up an energy signature leaving Langara's orbit shortly after the fight at the mine – he transmitted the data back through the wormhole to the SGC where Dr Lee confirmed that it came from a Tel'tak.

"At least that's sumthin'," Cameron had acknowledged. "I mean, chances are there might not have been anyone else on board. The odds are higher in Vala's favour that she could have beaten the crap out of that loser and survived."

"You mean, the odds are higher than if it was a Ha'tak or an Al'kesh?" asked Daniel bleakly. Mitchell bowed his head.

"Yeah, I know."

Three of Frayne's men had been left alive on the planet when their boss disappeared – one of them had tried to run and been taken down by Teal'c's staff weapon, the other two were locked up in a high security prison on Kelowna. They'd been no help. Dalton Frayne had employed them when he'd landed on their planet – they knew very little about him, and certainly nothing about where he would have gone next.

SG-1 had even gone to Vala's home world in a vain attempt to locate her. Daniel suggested that if she couldn't get back to the SGC unaided she may have gone there to wait for help. Teal'c wondered if the smuggler himself was also from her planet and that was how they had originally known each other. So they had travelled there and stayed for the best part of a week, but turned up nothing, so in the end they had to give up and go home.

The following week Landry had declared her MIA and Daniel had been asked very gently if he would pack up all of her things to put into storage. The archaeologist had to go and physically throw up part way through the procedure – when he held her precious little giraffe in his hands the tears poured down his face. He held it close against him, eyes shut, wondering how this could have happened to him again. How could one man lose two of his true loves in just one lifetime? It wasn't fair.

I won't give up though, he told the giraffe, God help me but I will find you, dead or alive, I will find you like I did my Sha're.

Vala's precious things had thus been packed away, including the little jewellery box that he had found under the bed – all except the giraffe. Daniel couldn't bear to give it up – it sat on the sofa in his office, waiting for it's owner to return.

* * *

So life had plodded on, stodgily, every day the same, wake, work, eat, work, sleep. Cameron and Redwell went out with other SG teams occasionally, Teal'c was based mainly on Chulak. General Landry was expecting him back sometime in the next day however, due to the fact that Colonel Carter and the _George Hammond_ were at present in orbit around the Earth. Sam had transported down briefly, with sad eyes, and hugged Daniel and Cameron, before going in to see Landry. They'd met up again that evening and she and Mitchell had gone off to O'Malley's to get nicely hammered, but Dr Jackson refused to leave the mountain.

"What if she comes back and none of us are here?" he whispered, sorrowfully.

The other two had looked at each other, but neither of them had tried to talk him out of it. He'd still been awake however when he heard Mitchell stagger back into the guest room opposite, talking loudly to himself and tripping over his own feet. Consequently both Colonel's looked the worse for wear when they all met up in the cafeteria the next morning.

"General Landry was talking to me yesterday," said Sam, eyeing her pancakes and orange juice dubiously. "He thought that you might like to be seconded to the _Hammond_ – just for it's latest mission. There's a rumour flying around out there about Ori treasure. Lost Ori treasure. Or rather, lost treasure that the Ori wanted to steal – I think that's more the case."

"Seriously?" Cam took a small mouthful of eggs and sausage, chewing carefully. He wished that he had his sunglasses on – the lights seemed very bright in the SGC this morning. "Road trip? How long for?"

"Not long, I'm afraid." Sam sipped at her drink. "Couple of weeks tops. Probably less. He just thinks – you know – might take your minds, I mean, our minds…." She trailed away.

"Might take our minds off of Vala?" asked Daniel quietly.

"Yeah, that's about it." The blonde Colonel pushed away her barely touched breakfast. "I know. It's a terrible idea. And you won't even leave the mountain, Daniel. Forget it."

Mitchell toyed with his eggs, his eyes shadowed.

"At least we'd be doing sumthin'," he said, sadly, looking from one to the other of his friends. Neither of them answered. After a minute or two Sam had to tug a tissue out of her pocket to blow her nose.

"Let's do it," said Cam. "For her. I mean, we're moping about, acting like she's dead, and we don't know for sure. She could easily be out there, waiting for us to find her. How we gonna find her if we never leave the mountain?"

Daniel went to speak but Mitchell stopped him.

"God helps those who help themselves, my Grandma always says," he sat up straighter in his seat. "And we need all the help that we can get right now."

The two Colonels' both looked at Daniel. He'd hidden in the mountain for the past five months hoping that she would come home, but maybe that wasn't the way to do it. Maybe they would have to go out and find her. Alive. Somewhere. He refused to believe anything different.

"Okay," he whispered.

"Okay?" said Sam, incredulously.

"Okay," he repeated.

"Okay!" Mitchell slapped his hands on the table. "Permission to come aboard, Colonel Carter!"

"Wearing that?" Sam indicated his grey T-shirt and jogging bottoms. Cam rolled his eyes.

"Very well, _Samantha,_ I'll go get changed first. When do we leave?"

"Probably not until tomorrow. Daniel?" she looked at her friend, questioningly. He nodded.

"Tomorrow."

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**Big shout out to all of you guys who follow this story - I keep getting email notifications and I'm feeling very grateful and humbled by your interest. Hope that you continue to enjoy my tale! More soon!**


	6. Chapter 6 Day At The Museum

**Continued thanks to all of you beauties who are reviewing and following this story :-) Some of you only sign in as guests so I can never thank you individually, so I'm doing it now!**

* * *

**Chapter 6 Day At The Museum**

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Two days later and the _George Hammond _was whizzing along through subspace on the way to it's destination. Daniel, to his own surprise as well as everybody else's, was aboard. He'd even felt a twinge of excitement as the ship had left orbit above Earth and headed off through the Milky Way.

At the moment he was stood behind Sam's chair, near the back of the bridge, just watching the stars fly by. Cameron came wandering in, skimming through the notes in his hand.

"Hey Jackson," he grinned. "You okay?"

Daniel shrugged. "Getting by, I suppose. You?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Hey, Carter – what's this planet again? Where we're headed? Er – PBX-007?"

"PBX-007?" the archaeologist repeated. "We're not on our way there, are we?"

"Yes," said Sam, turning in her seat to look at him. "Is there a problem?"

"That's Vala's homeworld!" Daniel sounded exasperated. "She won't be there – we've already checked."

"We're not looking for Vala," said Samantha, gently. "We're following the Ori and whatever they were looking for."

Her dear friend looked at her for a moment, something unmoveable in his gaze, then turned away.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that – if we're flying about out here – y'know – it makes sense to try in as many different places as possible."

Sam leant across and squeezed his arm.

"If I know Vala like I think I do, she'll be trying as hard to get back, as we are to finding her. We'll only be on this planet for a day or so. There's plenty more to check out while we're this side of the galaxy."

Daniel nodded, looking slightly better.

"Yes, of course."

"Dropping out of hyperspace in fifteen minutes, colonel," said Major Marks, pressing various buttons and checking his monitors.

"Excellent." Carter put her hand on Daniel's shoulder, reassuringly. "Now go and get everything you need. I'm not bringing you back up just because you've left one of your dusty old books behind by accident!"

* * *

Three hours later and Cameron, Teal'c and Daniel were down on the planet's surface, accompanied by SG-3. The _Hammond_ had left them about a mile from a small town – they had covered the distance quickly and split into groups to discover what they could as soon as possible.

The locals were friendly, remembering the SGC and their insignia from previous missions to the planet – Cameron and Teal'c were taken off by the local mayor to be introduced to other local dignitaries. The rest of the troops went snooping around near the local market.

Daniel, being Daniel, soon managed to lose the others and wound up outside what looked like a small church or temple, but on closer inspection proved to be a museum. The elderly man sitting outside spoke in an odd dialect, which sounded vaguely Welsh – even the archaeologist who could speak every language known to man – and a few more - had difficulty understanding him. However, he was clearly meant to be in charge of the small gallery – after a while Daniel found it easier to pick up on what he was saying.

He was looking at a large scroll in a glass case with Gou'ald writings on, depicting several stories about Quetesh. He'd drawn his breath in sharply when he read the name, but the host in the drawings clearly wasn't Vala. It would have been too long ago, he guessed.

"Look-see! Look-see!" the little man in charge was beckoning him over to what looked like a giant square wok, placed on it's own display stand on the floor towards one corner of the largest room. "SGC see this? You see? What is it?"

Daniel strolled over, squinting through his glasses.

"I'm not sure, you tell me?" He stroked the metal of the strange piece – it looked as if it might have been made of copper – and it was polished to a high sheen. It did indeed look like a big wok, that's all he could compare it with, about five feet in width, and square in shape. The edges curved upwards and at regular intervals along them were oval spaces, nine on each side. There were nine larger indents towards the centre of the strange artefact. Protuding from the back of it was a hollow cylinder, about a foot and a half in diameter and two feet in length– the strange artefact was stood upright, balancing on the cylinder.

"What is it?"asked Daniel again.

The older man shrugged.

"Special," he nodded. "He special, yes?"

"I guess so." Daniel wandered off slowly. As he did, another, younger man came in from the street. He nodded to the archaeologist and went immediately to talk to the elderly guide, speaking rapidly in the same strange dialect. After a few moments he joined the doctor, smiling.

"Good afternoon," he bowed, "You have come with the Tau'ri, yes? You are one of the Tau'ri warriors?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly," said Daniel, feeling embarrassed. "I'm just an archaeologist. Daniel Jackson."

He held out his hand. The other man shook it warmly.

"I am Shay," he told him. His English was much better than the elderly fellow's. "You are interested in the museum, yes?"

"Sure." The Tau'ri warrior pointed at the strange artefact that the old man had been so excited about. "What is it?"

"Nobody living is sure. It is believed to come from the 'City of Light' – again, we do not know where this place is. It is not of this world."

"City of Light," repeated Daniel. "I think – wasn't that somewhere under the rule of Kronos? One of his planets?"

"I think this is so," replied Shay. "since the Gou'ald have been….what is the word?"

"Overthrown?" queried Dr Jackson.

"Yes! Yes, that is right!" the other man nodded enthusiastically. "Overthrown! Well, since this time many of our own people have been able to study and travel. To find out more of our history."

They were interrupted by Colonel Mitchell wandering nonchalantly into the museum.

"Run away from your party?" asked Daniel. Cam grinned.

"Kind of. Teal'c's more into all those sober, dignified 'how are you's' than me. I thought I'd better come and see what you were up to."

"Not a lot. Just talking. This is Shay." He introduced the younger man, who shook Mitchell's hand, smiling. "He was just telling me that the locals have been able to study and explore their own history since the Gou'ald were kicked out."

"Nice!" Cam nodded.

"Well," Shay's face sobered a little, " we were able to explore more until the Chappa'ai was broken about five months ago."

Daniel's head whipped around at him.

"Five months? But we were here five months ago. Well, just less than five months anyway." His heart was aching. He stopped speaking.

"Near to that time," replied Shay. "Perhaps slightly less then. A freak storm – never have I seen one like it. A – a- a…" he waved his arms fiercely in a downward motion. "from the sky, you know?"

"Lightening?" asked Cam.

"Yes, yes!" Shay nodded furiously. "A lightening came down and hit the Chappa'ai. It was un-broken, you know? But the – the lightening, it hit the – the – "

"Dial home device?" supplied Daniel, excitedly.

"Yes! It hit it, and part of it is injured. Yes? Injured and no longer is working."

Mitchell looked at his team mate. "Don't get your hopes up yet, Jackson."

Daniel nodded. "Of course. But still…"

"I know. We'll look into it some more. Let me go check out the 'gate. Wait here, okay?"

"Sure." The archaeologist rubbed his face and watched as the colonel quickly exited the building.

"Is it all alright?" asked Shay, worriedly.

"Oh yes." Daniel nodded, looking around for something to distract him. What if Vala _had _made it this far, only to be trapped by a broken Stargate? A little sliver of hope began to bloom in him again. He ran his hand aimlessly along a rail in front of another case of exhibits. Suddenly he stopped and peered in.

"Shay – this object here – is it possible to see it closer?"

"Of course. I will fetch the key." He went into a small back room, returning with a bunch of keys with which he unlocked the case. "Please."

Daniel reached in and lifted out a small, round stone artefact and it's corresponding receiving dish. It was almost identical to the one which they'd used on Monsoon World to find the hidden city. It was slightly larger, with better preserved markings and the stone in the centre was clear like a diamond.

"Do you know it?" asked Shay, interested.

"Yes, yes I do!" Daniel ran his hands all over it, checking that it was intact. "It's a map-reader – a cryptograph. It will show a map – but it needs something else to make it work. Like a – like a sort of pillar with a groove on top. A raised groove. You know? Do you have anything like that?"

"But yes – here! Look here!" Shay indicated another case of objects underneath and there, in the centre, a stone pedestal with a raised groove in the centre.

"Can we get it out?" Daniel was almost beside himself. The other man was already unlocking the glass doors. They lifted it carefully from it's place and stood it on the floor.

"It's not as tall as the other one we found," said the archaeologist. He lost no time in putting the stone artefact, and it's corresponding holder, onto the top of the small pillar. It gave a reassuring 'click' – as he turned it 180 degrees to activate he couldn't help but think back to the last time they'd used one of these things. It was Vala who'd remembered how to make it work. She was the one who'd activated it in the temple.

In a moment however all other thoughts had fled from his mind. In front of them a map was hovering directly above the little stone ornament. The lights were an orange colour this time, and it was on a much smaller scale.

"It's a solar system!" said Daniel. "It's a map of a solar system somewhere. We just need to find out which one."

There were what looked like five planets circling a sun in the centre, with several tiny moons present as well. Two of the planets seemed to be sharing the same orbit around the little sun. One of them was an opaque white colour, not orange like the others.

"I'm guessing that's the world which means something," said Daniel, rubbing his chin. "I mean, if we knew where this place was – that's where we'd be supposed to go."

"You think – it is the City of Light?" asked Shay. Jackson shrugged.

"Difficult to say. It could be connected with any of the artefacts that you have here. Or maybe with none of them at all."

The younger man nodded. "Of course."

"Would it be possible to borrow this?" queried the archaeologist. "I mean, I know it's probably breaking all sorts of rules, but would it be possible?"

"I think so." Shay nodded. "You are trusted people on this world." He shrugged apologetically. "But there are – you know…" he mimed writing.

"Forms?" said Daniel.

"That is so!" The other man nodded. "You will wait, yes? There is one for us, one for you, one for the council, one…."

"Of course. No problem. Whatever you need."

Shay nodded. "I will get them. Also the boxes for the piece. I will be fast, yes?"

He smiled and headed off towards the back of the museum. As he left Lt Redwell, sent over from SG-3, appeared at the front door.

"Dr Jackson!" he called. "Colonel Mitchell asks that you come to the Stargate as soon as possible."

"I'll be right there," acknowledged Daniel. "Give me a few minutes."

The young airman nodded and moved away. The old man, who had sat quietly in his chair since Shay had arrived, stood and walked slowly towards the archaeologist.

"Doctor?" he enquired. "Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel shook his head.

"I'm not that sort of doctor."

"He speak – doctor. You is doctor. You is come."

"I'm not…I don't…really…"

The elderly curator took his hand and began to gently pull him towards the door.

"He ill. He ill and no better. For long. For long he ill. You come."

"I'm not…" Daniel gave up. The poor chap was insistent. His weathered brown face was creased with concern, dark eyes pleading.

"Oh okaaaay. This probably won't end well. Usually doesn't if I'm involved." He sighed. "Okay, show me your friend." At any rate, he thought, perhaps Dr Lam might be able to send down some antibiotics or something for the unknown man.

His elderly friend led him down one street, then another off to the right, then down a narrower one, little bigger than an alley. At the end was a small courtyard – in one corner a cramped, claustrophobic passage wound off. It was almost hidden by the overhanging porches of two houses.

This really isn't a great idea, Daniel thought to himself, as he walked gingerly along. Nobody knows where I am.

"Come, he here," the gentle old man patted his hand. "Come."

He led him up a flight of stone steps outside a house and through a low doorway. The room inside was dim – it was overshadowed by the higher storeys of the buildings around it. There were also shutters across the low, small window. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to accustom themselves to the darkness. There was a mattress or something on the floor – he could see a huddled figure sitting there in the shadows. He couldn't see the person properly – he squinted….

"Well, well – Daniel Jackson!" said the person. "You took your sweet time getting here!"

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**Who do you think it is? Hehehehe! More soon!**


	7. Chapter 7 God Helps Those

**Chapter 7 God Helps Those Who Help Themselves**

* * *

Daniel couldn't speak. His mouth dropped. When he thought back to this moment later on he was convinced that he'd actually stopped breathing for a good few seconds. He was aware of his heart pounding, racing in his chest. He stumbled across the room and fell to his knees in front of the bed.

"Vala!" He held her face gently in his hands, looking, searching. She was smiling, beautiful grey eyes crinkling. She lifted her right hand to touch the back of his.

"Hello darling," she whispered, before she leant in and kissed him gently on the lips.

Daniel paused for an infintessimal second, then pulled her close to him, arms tight around her as he buried his face in her hair. She moaned in pain. He pulled back.

"What is it?" he watched her concerned. She was grinning.

"Nothing much. It doesn't matter anyway, not now. Have you come to take me away from all this?"

"Vala!"

She pouted.

"Just a little injury I picked up in your absence, my darling. I did get myself into a little bit of a m-mess." Her voice caught in her throat and gave her away. She wiped her nose. Daniel moved so that he could sit next to her and put his arm gently around her shoulders. She nestled awkwardly into his side, grimacing with pain. He watched her the whole time, unable to take his eyes away from her, in case she vanished.

"You help?" said the old man from the doorway. "You doctor."

Vala laughed then sucked her breath in when it hurt. "He thought that you were a real doctor?"

"I kept telling him," whispered Daniel. "But he wouldn't take no for an answer. Oh, thank God he didn't! I wouldn't have found you!" He laid his cheek against her hair.

She lifted his fingers to kiss them gently, then spoke to the old man fluently in his own dialect. He nodded excitedly, beaming, and chattering back. Eventually he left, nodding at the two of them. Vala leant back carefully and looked up at Daniel.

"He's going to look for Mitchell. I take it that you did come with him?"

"Sure. He's at the Stargate. Oh! The Stargate!"

"Tell me about it!" Vala pulled a face. "That damned idiot Dalton crashed his Tel'tak about twenty miles from here. I suppose that kicking him in the head may have had something to do with it. Served him right, in my opinion. I don't cope well with being kidnapped. Or locked up."

"Don't I know it." Daniel ran his fingertips gently down her face. He couldn't believe that she was here, next to him, in his arms. He'd found her. He'd really found her. The object of his love winced and tried to change her position.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked her concerned.

"Oh, that's another story," she put her finger to his lips. "I want to tell you this one first. Now hush a minute!"

She wriggled again. Her forehead, where she'd leant it against his neck, felt hot. She looked rough, he thought. Her face was pale, and now he looked closely, she'd lost weight. There was hardly anything of her. He pulled her close again.

"Ouch, Daniel!" she chided him.

"Okay," he acquiesced. "Tell me your story."

"Well…." Vala interlaced her fingers with Daniel's as she began to speak. "Dalton, the idiot, crashed his ship. He should have let me fly it. But then, if I _had_ been flying I wouldn't have been able to escape from the room that he'd locked me in, so I couldn't have kicked him in the head. You should have seen me Daniel," she sighed reminiscently, "it was the _Prometheus_ all over again, except not nearly as much fun because you weren't there. Oh, and there was another guy there, but I had to Zat him. He was annoying. I sent him off somewhere in the ring transporter. What?"

Daniel was laughing quietly.

"You. Being resourceful and acting like some kind of ninja."

"Ninja." Vala rolled the word around her tongue. "I like it. So, anyway, he crashed the Tel'tak and I ran away. I hid out in a tavern – flirted shamefully with the bar-keeper – I'm sorry about that Daniel, but nothing happened, really it didn't – he's happily married to this nice fat woman who looks like a troll. What now?"

She was starting to look peeved. Daniel was laughing loudly now.

"It's you!" He held her closely, forgetting about her injury. She managed to cope for a few moments before pushing him gently away.

"Sorry," they both said together.

"Go on," said Jackson.

"Well," Vala took a breath, wincing, "I worked in the inn and there was this man who used to come in all the time – skinny, little rat-faced guy – turned out he'd had dealings with Dalton in the past. Something – guess what Daniel?"

He shrugged.

"Well, something to do with naquadria. Smuggling it from planet to planet. Because it's so unstable – the Kelownans' don't let it out of their sight if they can help it, so people have to steal it."

"Don't I know it!" grumbled Daniel.

"So anyway, Keehan – that was the ratty little man – he decided to contact Dalton to try and get some naquadria."

"He decided? Or you talked him into it?"

Vala smiled proudly. "I talked him into it. I thought, you see, it might be a way to get back to Kelowna. Because by the time we managed to get to the city, the Stargate was broken." She paused, sadly. "I did feel rather glum, I don't mind admitting it, when I saw that DHD. So I knew that the only way to get home was to fly there. Except Keehan was rubbish at double-crossing Dalton – I really should have insisted that I did the negotiating."

"Is that how you were hurt?" asked Daniel, softly. He stroked her thin face very, very gently.

"No, not yet," she smiled. "If you keep interrupting me, we'll never get there."

The archaeologist mimed zipping his lips together. Vala smiled and carried on.

"Well, there's a place where you can find jewels that emit energy. If you cut them well, like diamonds back on earth, you know? And if you mix them somehow with the naquadria – I don't know exactly how it works – well, it makes a weapon. But not a bomb. Like a glazer thing, a big glazer weapon. And the naquadria is kept more stable by the diamond things. I don't know, I didn't understand all the chemistry stuff. It's more Samantha's thing."

Vala was looking seriously tired by now. Her eyes were almost closed as she was speaking.

"I think that you mean 'laser', rather than 'glazer'," whispered Daniel gently.

"Oh yes," she gave a tiny smile. "Well, Dalton had the 'gate co-ordinates to the world where the jewels are. And in the museum is a stone thing like the one from Monsoon World. Do you remember?"

"Vala…" the archaeologist suddenly had an intent look on his face. "The stone thing…?"

"We didn't have time to get it," she sighed. "I was supposed to break into Dalton's safe and take the 'gate co-ordinates and Keehan was meant to be stealing the other thing. What is it?"

"A mapreader."

"Mmmm. Well, never send a man to do a woman's job. Dalton's men caught Keehan and killed him. He was a rubbish conman Daniel, really he was. Even you would have been better."

"Er – thank you. I think."

"Then they came after me. They didn't catch me, but one of them blasted a big metal cauldron right next to me and I was hit by all of the rusty bits as it fell apart."

"You mean, shrapnel?" Daniel tilted her chin so that she had to look up at him. "Vala – have you got shrapnel injuries?"

"Mmmm. But I haven't finished telling you yet. Sonel found me – this room belongs to his son, who's away working somewhere. But my side wasn't getting any better, and we couldn't get drugs, because Dalton runs the black market round here, and it meant he would have found me."

"Show me where you're injured," demanded Dr Jackson. He laid her carefully back on the bed, and lifted the loose, tattered blouse which she wore.

"Hell's teeth Vala!" he ejaculated. The whole of her left side, between her armpit and hip was covered in one huge bruise. There were four or five open, bloody areas that were clearly infected.

"Pretty, isn't it?" she quipped. "Told you they hit me."

"Vala…" Daniel was lost for words. She must have been in agony just sitting up next to him. His eyes were itching and prickling. He wiped his nose with his handkerchief. "You beautiful fool."

"Thank you, darling." She was smiling again, but her eyes were closed.

"I'm calling Mitchell." Daniel reached for his radio, but as if on cue it crackled into life.

"Jackson!" the colonel's voice burst forth from the device. "Where the heck are you? There's an old guy here yacking on about who knows what!"

Vala's eyes flickered open. She grinned. So did Daniel.

"Follow him, Cam. I've got a present here for you."

* * *

Mitchell turned up about five minutes later.

"Holy crap!" was the first expression out of his mouth.

"Lovely to see you too, Cameron darling," whispered SG-1's recently found ex-space pirate.

"Thank God!" he knelt next to her. "I can't believe it – are you okay?" He didn't know what to do first – whether to hug her or shake her until her teeth rattled.

"She's hurt," Daniel interrupted him. "We need to get back to the _Hammond_ as soon as possible."

"Roger that, Jackson." Cam stood and contacted Sam on his radio. "Carter – we've found something precious down here. Think you're gonna want to see it."

"What exactly is it, Mitchell? Her voice crackled into the room. Vala smiled up at Daniel.

"Well, it's annoying, disrespectful, brave, funny – oh yeah - and we lost it a while back on Kelowna."

"Vala?" Sam sounded incredulous. "Seriously? You have Vala?"

"Yep," Cam was grinning from ear to ear. "She's hurt though – can you bring us up?"

"Sure, sure – standby. Vala – really? You're not making it up? For real?"

"For absolute real. Warn Dr Lam – we're going to need her."

"Roger that Mitchell. Standby."

Cam put his radio back into it's pouch. At that moment Lt Redwell appeared with they young man Shay form the museum.

"Dr Jackson," he saluted Mitchell briefly. "This gentleman has something for you. I signed a whole load of papers to release whatever it is from the museum. I hope that was okay, sir."

"Oh, _you_ found it then!" Vala was struggling up onto her elbow. Daniel tenderly lifted her forward.

"Is that the mapreader that your friend was after?" he asked her. She pouted.

"He most definitely wasn't my friend, Daniel, but yes that's it. I suppose that you want the 'gate co-ordinates?"

"You have them?" his face brightened. "Really?"

"Darling," Vala pulled a tiny, waxed roll of material from a hidden pocket in her long, scruffy blouse. "Did you ever doubt me?"

Daniel took her face between his hands and kissed her briefly but soundly, not caring that the room was full of airmen.

"I love you."

Cam was grinning and shaking his head, almost unable to believe that they'd found their lost team-mate, by pure chance.

"God helps those who help themselves," he reminded Jackson.

"I'm beginning to think that he does." The archaeologist very carefully lifted Vala into his arms, as Sam's voice came through again on the radio.

"Ready to bring you aboard, Mitchell," she told them.

"Just Dr Jackson and Vala at the moment," he told her, "we'll contact you when the rest of us are finished down here."

"Very well. Standby."

Daniel leant his cheek against Vala's dusty, dark hair. She tilted her head and kissed his neck. Another moment and they felt the familiar itch and tingle of the transport beam as they re-materialised on the bridge of the _George Hammond._

* * *

**Well, did you guess that it would be our girl? :-) More soon!**


	8. Chapter 8 Coming To

**Chapter 8 Coming To.**

* * *

Vala remembered very little of the next few days. As soon as they'd arrived on the_ George Hammond_ Daniel had practically run with her to the infirmary, refusing to wait for a trolley to arrive. By that point, she'd felt dreadful – throwing up into a hastily procured plastic bowl, she'd almost passed out into Carolyn Lam's arms.

The good doctor was wonderful. Within the space of a couple of hours she had the ex-pirate pumped full of antibiotics and whisked into theatre, where she cleaned, de-brided and sutured all of those horribly infected wounds. When Vala surfaced briefly from a morphine-fuelled sleep, she found herself attached to a confusing variety of drips and leads. It was all too much for her, so she just shut her eyes and drifted away again.

That was how the next few days passed for her – coming to every few hours, still attached to all manner of tubes, being prodded and poked and then just dropping off back to sleep. She was completely exhausted – the stress of being separated from the team for five months, and her injury, and probably a lack of food had completely worn her out. Sometimes she was aware that Daniel was sitting beside her – she was too tired to even speak to him, she would just smile and close her eyes again.

He was beside himself with worry that it was taking her so long to come round, but Carolyn reassured him.

"This is just her body's way of coping and repairing itself," she told him, after he'd camped out in the infirmary for about three days. "You saw the state that she was in when you found her – it's going to take a while to nurse her back to health. To be absolutely truthful with you, Dr Jackson, I don't know how much longer she would have lasted if you hadn't come across her."

Daniel paled. His heart thudded in his chest. "She was bad, wasn't she?"

Carolyn nodded, soberly. "Those wounds were in an awful state. The infection would have led to septacaemia eventually. I'd have given her another week tops before it would have been too late to save her."

The archaeologist swallowed hard. It didn't bear thinking about. Thank God that they'd gone on the _Hammond _with Samantha. Thank God that he'd gone into the museum, and followed the old man back home. Tears pricked the back of his eyes. It all could have ended so differently. Dr Lam was watching him – she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't beat yourself up, though, Daniel. You found her, you saved her and you brought her home. What you need to do now is go somewhere and sleep – that's an order! Because when she _does _wake up, she's going to absolutely run you ragged, you know she is!"

"Suppose that she wakes up and I'm not here though?"

Carolyn rolled her eyes.

"Daniel, you can have the bed next to her! Just for pity's sake, get some sleep!"

So when Vala eventually woke with at least enough energy to sit up for a while it was to find her dearly beloved lying on his front on the adjacent bed, fully clothed and fast asleep. She looked around for something to throw at him, but before she could find anything Carolyn came over from the little nurses' station.

"Don't even think about waking him," she warned her friend, popping a thermometer into the alien's mouth and pumping up the BP cuff around her arm. "He's been sat by your bed since you came in four days ago, we had to practically threaten him with serious injury to make him go to sleep!"

"I thorff thath I thaw him," said Vala, around the thermometer. "What'th that for?" she pointed upwards to a fat bag of blood, which was slowly making it's way into her veins.

"Exactly what you think it is." Carolyn undid the cuff, satisfied. "You're quite anaemic – not surprising really. That's the second unit to go in. Trust you to have the rarest blood group in the whole galaxy!"

She removed the thermometer, checked it and smiled. "Apyrexial. Looks like you're going to live after all."

"Good." Vala yawned. "what's hay per rexical?"

"Apyrexial. It mean's that your temperature is back to normal at last. You gave us quite a scare, you know."

Her friend nodded, looking sad. "Sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous. All's well that ends well. I'm keeping you for a good long time yet though, so prepare yourself for some serious, infirmary-style boredom!"

Vala smiled and burrowed down into the pillows, grimacing. Her side was still very sore. Dr Lam patted her arm and moved away, just as Mitchell came strolling into the infirmary.

"Hey there, Princess!" he swooped in and gave her a peck on the cheek. "How're ya feelin'?"

"All the better for seeing you," she caught his hand, suddenly and bizarrely feeling like crying. She'd missed her big-mouthed, big-hearted colonel more than she realised.

"Hey now," he leant on the bed and very gingerly hugged the bits of her that weren't covered in bandages or attached to something. "You wanna make me cry too?" He paused briefly. "Because…..I'm real, real sorry that I lost you, Princess."

His face looked sad. Vala forgot that she was about to bawl her eyes out and squeezed his hands.

"Oh, you are an idiot, Mitchell! It could have been any of us! Well, actually, not any of us because Dalton only knew me. And I don't suppose that you owed him money. Which I still do actually. I really ought to pay him off sometime. But anyway, none of us knew that it was a trap out there anyway….oh! How's Jonas?"

Cameron had started to laugh. He had to hug her again. Well the parts that were available.

"You're hilarious woman, you know that? Jonas is fine – he knows that you are as well now. It was thanks to him that we knew you went off in a Tel'tak. We filled him in on your intel about your pal wanting the naquadria though. He's going to see if he can find out any more about this City of Light too."

"City of Light? What's that? Actually, Mitchell, I'm feeling a bit hungry I think. I don't know, I felt so awful for such a long time I think I've forgotten what it is to be hungry. Do you have any chocolate?"

Cam shook his head, grinning, but pulled a small bar from his pocket. Vala took it and nibbled at the corner.

"The 'City of Light' is where we think your co-ordinates lead to. It's where we think these crystals are. The one's that can be used with the naquadria."

"To make the glazer – laser."

"Uh huh."

Dr Lam came over with several syringes of intravenous antibiotics.

"Drug's are up," she smiled. Cam smiled back at her, looking a little bit like a smitten school boy. Vala looked at him knowingly. He blushed slightly.

"Well, I'd better be going," he kissed his team mate's hand. "You have no idea how boring it was at the SGC without you, Princess." He turned to leave, then swung back. "I'll make you some macaroons when we're home." He left to go back to work.

"Macaroons – are they those awful things which he keeps burning?" asked Carolyn.

Vala nodded glumly. "Lucky me."

* * *

When Daniel awoke, part way through the afternoon, his girlfriend was sitting up in bed, still attached to all manner of paraphernalia, avidly reading a magazine which one of the nurses' had given her.

"Hello Daniel," she said, glancing fleetingly across at him. "you wouldn't believe what's been going on in Hollywood while I've been gone!"

She turned a page, pulling a face at the dress one of the model's was wearing.

"That's horrible," she stated, picking up Cameron's chocolate and nibbling it again. "Blue is so not her colour. She might as well be naked, she'd look better. Even that fat old lady who looked like a troll would look better. Actually I think she would, you know, because I told her, when I was flirting with her husband, I told her that blue was her colour. Maybe if we ever go back I could take her some nice blue material to make a special frock with. Because they did help me out you know. Of course, you and Mitchell would have to find Dalton first and do something with him. I'm not getting kidnapped again, it was too tedious. Oh look – there was a sale on at Victoria's Secret!"

Dr Jackson, propped up on his elbows, sweaty, whiskery and needing a shower, smiled one of the biggest, happiest smiles that he'd ever smiled in his entire life. She was back.

* * *

**Yep, she's back :-)**

**Now, I may be getting a beta, so it could be a few days before the next chapter goes up. Just letting you know, in case you thought I'd given up on the story!**


	9. Chapter 9 The Naquadria Incident

**Chapter 9 The Naquadria Incident**

The _George Hammond _arrived back in Earth's orbit a day or so later. Vala was transferred straight to the infirmary, where Carolyn insisted on keeping her for another three weeks.

Most of the time she spent either eating or asleep. Daniel couldn't believe how much food she could put away, now that she was feeling better.

"I'm making up for lost time," she told him, noshing her way through a huge bowl of chocolate ice-cream. She rapped the back of his hand as he stole a smidgeon on the end of his finger and popped it into his mouth. "Besides, Carolyn says that I have to put weight on."

Vala had been so thin and frail when he'd brought her home that the doctor had flatly refused to discharge her until she'd put at least five pounds on in weight. The alien had viewed this as an invitation to consume as much chocolate and ice-cream as she could get her hands on.

Almost four weeks after the fateful trip on the _Hammond, _Carolyn caught Daniel on his way into the infirmary one evening and told him that she'd discharged Vala.

"But you _must_ keep an eye on her," she told him, firmly. The doctor folded her arms, frowning. "She's on stand down for another two weeks at least, and I want to give her a full check up again before anyone, especially her, decides that she's well enough to go running through Stargates. Is that understood?"

The archaeologist nodded, slightly cowered by Dr Lam's rather severe outburst.

She smiled, relaxing a little. "Sorry, Daniel, but you know what she's like. Keep her away from the gym too – no physical exertion at all, okay? She'll burst open those wounds – they've only just healed. And no going off the mountain – at all! Not even to your place – is that understood? She's grounded!"

With an understanding nod Daniel backed away. "Absolutely, Carolyn, absolutely. And perhaps you should get some rest too?"

She grinned and threw a pen at him. "Point taken. Now get out of here and keep an eye on your girlfriend!"

Vala was sitting on the couch in his office when he found her, hugging the orange giraffe tightly. Her face was buried in it's neck. He thought at first that she was crying but realised as he sat down next to her that she was sniffing it.

"I missed it," she whispered, a little bit weepy but mostly smiling. "I forgot how it smelled. It reminds of home. I mean, this home. SGC home. My proper home now."

She rubbed her face against it's furry body. "Thank you, Daniel." Vala leaned up against him.

"You're welcome." He kissed the top of her head. At this precise moment, he thought that he must be the happiest man in the world.

"Daniel?" she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Mmm?"

"Can I please put the TV on?"

And so the next couple of weeks went by – Sam came by briefly in the _Hammond_, which cheered the mountain-bound alien immensely. The blonde colonel whisked her away from Daniel to the cafeteria, and then back to Vala's own quarters where they spent the rest of the evening watching Teal'c's Farscape DVDs' and eating popcorn.

The Jaffa himself had returned to Dakara for a time, catching up on all that had been happening there in his short absence.

Mitchell went off with SG-5 for a while – he tended to go a bit stir crazy if he was cooped up in the mountain for too long.

And the long suffering Dr Jackson did as much fiddling about with his antiques as he could, in between chasing his girlfriend and team-mate around the corridors of the SGC.

He had to admit that she was actually a lot less trouble to look after than he'd envisioned – she liked to help him with his translations and deductions most mornings, before her attention would waver and she'd head over to the couch, grabbing one of his books to skim through, before generally falling asleep in front of the TV.

They were all aware that, brave and teasing as she was, the alien still wasn't quite firing on all cylinders yet.

Landry called all of SG-1 into his office at the beginning of the third week. An unscheduled wormhole alert had gone out across the SGC about half an hour previously – Lt Redwell had come up to Daniel's office to tell him that Jonas Quinn came through from Kelowna and was in with Landry.

Daniel frowned. "Sounds serious."

"Jonas looked pretty worried, if you ask me," Simon tapped the desk, unsmiling. "He brought something with him, something in a wooden box."

"Naquadria, you think?"

The young lieutenant shrugged again. "Not sure, sir. He went straight in with the general."

So neither of them were surprised about ten seconds later when their conversation was interrupted by Walter calling them to the conference room.

Daniel rushed in to find that Mitchell and Vala were already there. The colonel was listening intently to the Kelownan scientist, who was talking earnestly to him in a low voice.

Looking over at Vala, Daniel shook his head. She was eating an apple –catching his eye, she winked at him.

"Gentlemen," Hank Landry indicated that they should sit down. "Mr Quinn here has some news for us. And a gift."

Everyone sat around the table, except Jonas who still stood. He held a small, wooden box.

"Good morning everyone," Jonas began sombrely. "Sorry to arrive unannounced like this but I figured that you would all want to hear the news. Firstly.." he paused and watched Vala, "…your friend Dalton Frayne was intercepted close to the city boundary two evenings ago."

"Can I shoot him?" asked Vala, eyes flashing. Nobody in the room dared ask her if she was joking.

Jonas smiled."Maybe later. He's in our custody at the moment. Hasn't said a lot about naquadria or Tel'taks' although he had to admit to kidnapping, seeing as I was actually a witness."

"What are you going to do with him?" Vala spat out, narrowing her eyes.

"Patience, Princess," Cam nodded at her across the table. "Your time will come."

She leaned back in her chair, arms folded and scowling.

"Go on," Landry told Jonas.

"Frayne's ship has been practically taken apart by our security teams – it was clean, apart from several small, hidden spaces, which indicated contamination with naquadria, and this." He held out the box towards the archaeologist.

"For me?" Daniel accepted the wooden box.

"For all of you. I think that it's what you're looking for."

Daniel opened the box. Inside was a grubby, opaque, golden-brown crystal. Everything about it was unremarkable, except the fact that it had obviously been cut precisely. It's sides were perfectly and symmetrically faceted. One side was flat. It was also very small – only about half an inch in diameter.

The other members of SG-1 leaned forward to look at the strange little gem.

"Can you explain further, JonasQuinn?" asked Teal'c, taking the crystal out of the box and rotating it between his fingers.

Jonas rubbed his hand through his hair."Frayne refused to tell us what the little stone was, but looked decidedly put out once he realised that we'd found it. Wait one moment."

From a leather satchel he took out a tiny metal box and a pair of gloves, which he slipped on.

"May I?" he asked General Landry, holding up the small container.

"Be my guest." The general looked rather dubious. "But the repairs are going on Kelowna's tab!"

Jonas smiled briefly before opening the little box and placing a tiny silver-coloured disc on the table, sprinkling a minuscule amount of black-ish powder on top.

"Naquadria," said Daniel, wryly.

The Kelownan nodded. He took the crystal from Teal'c and very carefully placed it on top of the disc, rotating it very carefully and grinding the powder gently.

In just a few seconds he achieved the desired effect. A narrow beam of white light shot up through the crystal and hit the ceiling of the conference room, leaving a sizeable hole and black scorch marks across a five feet square area.

"Sorry!" Jonas smiled, apologetically.

Landry glared at him.

Mitchell interrupted before a full scale shouting match broke out.

"So – this is what our friend Frayne was trying to get his hands on then? Smuggling it out of Kelowna so that the Lucian Alliance can make weapons with it?"

Jonas nodded.

"Well, I can see why," The colonel sent Landry a worried look.

Daniel nodded. "A weapon like this would be devastating. Presumably the bigger the crystal, the wider the beam?"

Jonas nodded again. "I guess so. This is the only crystal that we found on the ship so the rest is just conjecture. I thought that perhaps Colonel Carter might like to take a look at it when she's in the neighbourhood."

"Well, I think until the _Hammond _arrives back in our neck of the woods, I'll keep hold of this and lock it up somewhere nice and safe." General Landry gingerly pushed the crystal with a pen.

Jonas picked it up and tossed it to Hank. "It doesn't get hot, sir," he told him. "And once the naquadria around it has been depleted it's of no danger anymore."

"It's still mine for the time being," said Landry, looking pointedly up at his ceiling.

Jonas shrugged. "Sorry sir!" he repeated.

The general shook his head. "Needed a lick of paint anyway," he smiled. "Well, leave this with us Mr Quinn. We'll have another briefing tomorrow morning. Can you stay?"

The Kelownan shook his head ruefully.

"I must get back," he told them. "Frayne's trial is tomorrow also, I need to be there to testify."

"Ooooh, can I come?" asked Vala excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

Daniel frowned. "No chance," he mouthed across at her. She pretended she couldn't see him.

"Can we all come?" Mitchell put in, surprisingly.

Everyone looked at the colonel.

"Well, I figure that we'd also be good to testify, plus we might be able to get some intel out of him. Either in the court room or outside of it. Plus he stole something that belonged to us – ." Cam paused and looked at Vala. "- and I for one don't want him to get away with that."

"Me neither." Daniel's face was murderous. His much-loved alien changed seats to come and be next to him.

She squeezed his hand under the table. "General?"

Landry had leaned back in his chair and was tapping his pen against the table. His face was thoughtful as everyone waited for a few moments.

"I don't see why not," he told them. "You may be able to help the Kelownans', plus retrieve some good information from this smuggler. At any rate, we have nothing to lose. Apart from you –." he pointed at Vala, "If you think that you're going, young lady, you've got another think coming!"

"Please!" she jumped to her feet. "Please General Landry, please sir! I'm the one who he's done the most harm to! I'm the one who he kidnapped – although I did get him back by kicking him in the head – but that doesn't count! And it meant that I was lost for ages and couldn't be on SG-1 and I missed everyone, especially Daniel! Please General Landry!"

She threw herself onto the floor next to his chair, hands clasped in front of her. "Please, please, please! I'll never do anything bad again, I swear, and I'll always read my briefing notes in future, however boring they are, and I promise to give back all of the spare key-cards that I took, and the Kor-mak bracelets, and my other Gou'ald healing device and I'll never fall asleep when you're talking again, never, never, never I promise if you'll only let me go with them, please!"

There was silence after her outburst. The general had an odd, almost wistful look on his face.

Vala wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"IF – and I stipulate the IF – if my daughter gives you the all clear you may go with the rest of your team to Kelowna, but ONLY if Carolyn agrees, is that understood?"

Vala nodded excitedly, hands over her mouth.

"At no point are you to be alone with this smuggler, is that understood? At no point are you to be alone at all. You are to remain with at least two other members of SG-1 for the entire time that you are on Kelowna, is that also understood?"

She nodded.

"Very well. And if those Kor-mak bracelets aren't back in the lock-up by lunchtime I'm changing my mind. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Her eyes were huge and sparkling. God, she was beautiful thought the general. No wonder the archaeologist had lost his heart to her.

"And don't you ever tell me how you managed to get those bracelets back out of there in the first place! Dr Jackson, are you alright with this latest development?"

Daniel looked resigned.

"Yes sir. And believe me, I won't let her out of my sight the whole time."

"None of us will," agreed Mitchell.

"Then you have a go." Landry stood and nodded to Jonas. "Good luck with the trial. Ship out at 1600 hours."

SG-1 members, past and present, looked at each other.

"Let's do this!" said Cameron gleefully, rubbing his hands.

Teal'c smiled. "Indeed."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	10. Chapter 10 Courthouse Chaos

**Chapter 10 Courthouse Chaos**

* * *

"My pants are falling down," Vala grumbled, sticking her fingers into the loops on her combats and trying to hitch them up around her waist.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "That's because you've lost weight. Even though you appeared to eat most of the ice-cream supplies from the SGC last week."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"There's nothing of you, Princess." Cameron leaned back on the Kelownan courthouse wall, where they were waiting to be admitted, and popped a piece of chewing gum into his mouth. "You look like a stick."

"I do not!" Vala protested indignantly. She ran her hands up and down her body, paying particular attention to her bust area. "Sticks don't have these do they? I mean, sticks are straight, not with curves on, like these. I'm not a stick at all, my boobs are too nice. That's what they call them in England, the Prime Minister told me. Boobs. Did you know that, Simon darling? Did you know that they call them boobs in England?"

Poor Lt Redwell's eyes were out on stalks and Mitchell bent over, hands on knees. "I dread to think the state that you and General O'Neill left the British government in, y'know," he laughed.

"Leave the poor man alone," Daniel rolled his eyes again and clapped the very red-faced young lieutenant on his shoulder. "And stop it!" he hissed at his girlfriend, who was looking at herself and her boobs sideways in a window. "People are watching!"

Looking around Vala perked up, then frowned as her BDU's slipped again.

"Come here," Daniel spoke gently. He tugged her towards him by her belt, which he undid and tightened for her. "Better?"

"Mmmm," she was leaning in for a kiss, but he put his fingers against her lips. "Not on duty, Ms Mal Doran."

Vala grinned widely and moved away, as the doors to the courthouse opened and people began to move towards the entrance.

Jonas stood waiting for them in the large, cool ante-chamber directly inside. "I'm to be called as a witness," he told them. "to corroborate the prosecution's case that Dalton Frayne attacked us without justification at the mine, that he kidnapped Vala, injured Teal'c and stole naquadria. If we can get him convicted for kidnapping alone, he'll go down for fifteen years."

"Good." Mitchell, Daniel and Vala said, all at the same time.

"Indeed," added Teal'c, with feeling.

"Are you ready, Colonel Mitchell?" Jonas asked.

The other members of SG-1 looked at them both, surprised.

Their commanding officer smiled, shrugging. "Jonas asked me to stand as a witness too, to add weight to the case against Frayne. Happy to oblige!"

"Can't I witness too?" Vala's face had a hard edge to it – she tilted her chin up, like she did when she wanted something. "I've got some great stories about him!"

Jonas shook his head. "Most of what he did to you occurred away from Kelowna – we have no jurisdiction with it. Don't worry – he won't get away with what he did to you. To any of us."

A bell rang from the gallery above them.

Daniel put his arm around Vala's shoulders and held her against him. She leaned in briefly, but still looked put out.

"I wanted to put him down," she whispered. "I mean, put him out. Put him somewhere?"

"Send him down," Daniel grinned, before stealing a quick peck on her cheek as they all entered the courtroom.

Jonas Quinn was as good as his word. The trial went on for two days – it could possibly have gone on for longer but when it came to people testifying to Dalton's good character there was an unsurprising lack of contenders.

Cameron acted like a cross between an Air Force general and a Hollywood A-lister when he stood in the witness box – the judges and jury members looked as if they would eat out of his hands.

Jonas was more subtle in his manner, but equally forceful – the defendant's counsel could be seen talking frantically with the accused more than once. At the end of the second day, the head judge dismissed the courtroom, telling them that sentence would be delivered the following morning.

Daniel told his girlfriend in no uncertain terms that she was going straight back to their lodgings and into bed.

For a moment Vala looked hopeful, until he reminded her that one of the many instructions which Dr Lam had given them, before she allowed Ms Mal Doran off-world, was that the alien had to have a nap in the afternoons. So Dr Jackson marched his mutinous-looking team mate off towards the bedroom, but two minutes after laying down on the couch she was fast asleep.

Smiling, Daniel kissed her forehead and sat right next to her, reading through one of his huge old textbooks. Simon Redwell sat in the next room, feet up on the small coffee table, listening to the radio playing quietly and fiddling with the pockets on his tactical vest.

Teal'c and Mitchell waited behind for Jonas. After about an hour he eventually appeared, and nodded to them, gesturing for them to come over.

"You can talk to Frayne," the scientist told them. "the judge says that it's unlikely that anything which the accused says will induce them to lighten his sentence, but he doesn't need to know that. Chances are pretty high that he won't talk anyway."

"I know," admitted Mitchell, "but at least we'll have tried."

"Agreed," Teal'c bowed, gravely. "And if we did not try, then we would not know."

The colonel nodded.

"Nothing to lose. Him or us. Let's go."

The cells were tiny but clean, and there were several floors full of them. The courthouse was also the local prison, Jonas told them, as they made their way lower and lower into the complex. Eventually they arrived on a level at which the scientist stopped and rapped against the metal door. It was opened almost immediately, a stoic looking guard nodded and ushered them through. About nine doors down the guard stopped and let them into the cell.

"Anything you need, I'll be right outside," the guard told them.

"Thanks." Jonas stood back and let Mitchell and Teal'c enter first.

Curly haired, short and chubby, Dalton Frayne was laying back lazily on his bed. He looked insolently up at them. "Come to have a go at me?" he asked, in an accent not unlike Vala's.

"Nope," Mitchell had his hands in his pockets, wandering around in the small room. "Come to throw you a lifeline."

The smuggler shrugged. "Why?"

"We want some information from you." Mitchell looked directly at Frayne. "You give us some decent intel, and there's a good chance that your sentence will be cut. Maybe by as much as half." He crossed his fingers inside his pockets, glad that his Grandma couldn't hear him spinning such whopping fibs.

Frayne smirked. "And again I say, why?"

Teal'c moved slightly closer towards the man on the bed. "Your wish is to be incarcerated in this place for a lengthy time then?" he asked the prisoner, his voice deep and threatening. "Your sentence is likely to be for a considerable number of years, possibly as long as twenty. The possibility of the death penalty is not unlikely. You do not wish to fulfill this opportunity to possibly achieve a lighter term?"

Dalton moved slightly, away from the Jaffa. He looked warier. Teal'c, in an enclosed space as tiny as that cell, was enough to make anyone look wary.

"Vala Mal Doran is a thief, a smuggler and a double-crosser," the smuggler spat at them. "She deserved everything – EVERYTHING – that she had thrown at her. And so help me, if my men could have aimed straight we wouldn't be having this conversation because she'd be dead and you'd never have found out what wa-…"

Mitchell grabbed Frayne by his throat and threw him up against the wall, smashing his head against the concrete. The colonel's face was murderous. His hands tightened around the other man's throat, and the man started to wheeze.

Jonas went to look out of the small window in the door. Teal'c put his hands behind his back and hummed quietly to himself.

Dalton pulled at Mitchell's hands, unsuccessfully. His eyes started to bulge as his face reddened.

"What's that you say?" snarled SG-1's leader. "You wanna tell me somethin, to make it worth my time having come here? Do ya?"

His captive nodded as best he could, hands still scrabbling at the colonel's fists.

Eventually Mitchell threw Frayne onto the bed, wiping his hands on his jacket, as if touching the man made him dirty. He knelt on the bed above the unfortunate Mr Frayne, one knee on his chest, leaning over him with his hands either side of his face. "Tell me about this City of Light."

Dalton gulped. "Nobody knows much about it – well, nobody around this neck of the woods anyway. It's meant to be on a world where you can find crystals which hold and diffuse light in a certain way. You can use them to make weapons – the bigger the crystal the bigger the weapon."

"Where do you get them from?" Mitchell barked out.

"Again – not around here. The City of Light is way across the far side of the galaxy somewhere – they're unique to that world."

"And how 'bout the Alliance? How did they get involved?"

Frayne moved on the bed, trying to dislodge Mitchell's knee from his torso. "I do some scouting about for them sometimes. Depending on who you deal with – well, they pay quite well."

The colonel leaned on him harder. "That's not what I asked."

Dalton swallowed convulsively. "Alright, alright! I don't know how they found out about the crystals, or how to make weapons from them. One of their many spies or members I suppose. But they have operatives and gangs on many planets now – for all I know one of them is from the City of Light itself. All I know is that they _are_ trying to make weapons with them. It's getting the naquadria that's the problem, it's difficult to get hold of, not the crystals so much."

"As it should be," interrupted Jonas, moving away from the door. "Do you have any idea how dangerous naquadria is?."

"I don't care – I'm not the one using it." Frayne shrugged. "As long as I get paid for what I do, why should I bother about what might happen to someone else?"

Disgusted, Mitchell grimaced and pushed himself off of the smuggler. "You're a proper little charmer, y'know?"

Dalton Frayne grinned. "I don't care."

Jonas called for the guard and the three men left the court house, heading back to where SG-1 were staying.

* * *

The evening passed peacefully apart from when Vala wanted to play strip poker. She'd managed to deal the cards and cause Redwell to forfeit his boots before Daniel wandered in from the other room and realised what she was up to.

"Bed!"he reminded her firmly, tugging the cards out of her hands. "Carolyn said – you need to rest!"

"Daniel, I hate you!" she yelled at him, jumping up. "I had a full house! I would have won!" She wriggled and tried to pull away from him. "That's so unfair! Carolyn didn't say that I couldn't play strip poker!"

"Nope, but I insist," Jackson replied firmly, dragging her off into the bedroom.

Young Simon looked mightily relieved.

Jonas however, had spent over a year living on Earth and perfected quite an acceptable poker face. He looked sadly at his straight flush.

Mitchell grinned. "Trust me," he told the scientist, "however good you think you're playing, that woman will have you sitting in your underwear before the night is out!"

* * *

The woman in question was glowering at her beloved, who was insisting that she got ready for bed. She threw her hairbrushes and beauty bits around for a while before marching into the small adjoining bathroom, nose in the air. When she came out she seemed mollified however.

Vala stood behind Daniel and slipped her arms around him. "I do love you, Dr Jackson."

He turned and cuddled her in close. "You're such a pain in the butt, Vala," he kissed her firmly on the mouth. "But you're my pain in the butt." He kissed her again, deeper.

She leaned in against him, with a little sigh, getting as close to his body as she could.

It was only when Daniel felt her hands inside his shirt and realised that his own were doing a good job of cupping themselves around her rather nice breasts that he pulled away, breathing hard. "Behave," he told her resting his forehead against her own. "It's on Carolyn's list."

"Sod the list," Vala whispered, stealing another kiss, right on the edge of his mouth, but she allowed him to lead her to the small bed, where they snuggled up together for all of thirty seconds before the ex-space pirate began to make gentle snoring noises. Daniel grinned. No problems with insomnia any more, then.

* * *

The next morning SG-1, including Vala, waited in the courtroom while Dalton Frayne's sentence was passed. The jury were unanimous – guilty on all charges. The prosecution then brought to light numerous other previous convictions that the man had – including three for indecent assault, four for aggravated burglary and one for manslaughter. The chief judge looked sombre. His associates nodded solemnly as he spoke to them. The convicted man looked worried.

Mitchell looked thrilled to bits. "What goes around, comes around," he whispered to his team mates.

Dalton was made to stand. The three judges also stood to deliver sentence. The chief justice spoke.

"Mr Frayne, you have showed no remorse for any of your crimes, present or previous, and you have continued to employ yourself on the opposite side of the law from all that is moral and decent. I am therefore left with no other choice than to sentence you to death. You shall be hung by the neck until death, at sunrise, three days hence."

"You lied to me!" Dalton, puce in the face, pointed at Mitchell, who looked unrepentant. "You said that my sentence would be lessened if I co-operated with you."

The colonel stood as well.

"I lied," he said. "You're an evil little bastard, and you deserve everything you get."

Frayne, mad with fury, leaped onto the edge of the dock, and threw himself straight at Vala.

She jumped aside, whipping out her Zat, but before she could even think about firing it a single shot from a P-90 hit him in the chest. Dalton dropped dead at her feet. Turning, Vala saw Teal'c putting the safety catch back on his weapon.

"Thanks, Muscles," she smiled.

"You are most welcome, ValaMalDoran," the Jaffa bowed. "He deserved, as ColonelMitchell most eloquently surmised, 'everything that he got.'"

"Let's go home," Daniel said. He pulled Vala towards him, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Agreed." Cameron looked over his shoulder. "Is that okay with you?"

Jonas looked down at the dead man, at the courtroom in chaos, at the guards jostling around them and the medical crew trying to get up to the dock area. He started to laugh.

"I love working with SG-1!" he grinned. "Don't forget me though, will you?"

"Never." Cam clapped him on the shoulder, Daniel and Simon shook his hand and Vala kissed him, smack on the mouth.

Teal'c bowed. "Farewell, JonasQuinn," he said. "I feel sure that we will see each other again soon."

* * *

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11 Peaceful Explorers

Apologies for being so late with uploading this chapter - I've had a super-busy week or so! Hope that you all enjoy the continuation of the story, and thanks to those of you who've reviewed. :-)

* * *

**Chapter 11 Peaceful Explorers**

Over the week since SG-1 returned there were a series of meetings. Meetings between Cameron and General Landry ,between Landry and the government – even between Cam and Colonel Carter, way across the galaxy via a wormhole. Landry had called in Daniel, followed by Teal'c and Redwell. The young lieutenant had looked distinctly nervous going in, and even worse coming out. Vala was examined by Dr Lam, who checked her over thoroughly but eventually had to agree that she had behaved herself impeccably while on Kelowna.

Jonas sent detailed reports of all the court proceedings – Landry had looked over them, frowning, then called for Mitchell.

"Sir?" The colonel saluted, arriving at the general's door. His superior motioned for him to come in.

"I'll get straight to the point," the General told the younger man. "The Senate agrees with your mission report, and with all other reports that we have on both the Ori and the Lucian Alliance. The discovery of these crystals and the possibility of using them with naquadria, as a weapon, is unacceptable. You are cleared to go to this 'City of Light' to find out more about where these jewels originate and to broker some kind of treaty if possible, with the inhabitants there. We _cannot_ give the Alliance the opportunity to make such destructive weapons unhindered."

"Agreed, sir," Mitchell nodded. "If we're able to get these other people on our side, we can maybe take over responsibility for the mining and protection of these crystals as well."

"One thing at a time, colonel," Landry said, smiling. "Let's find the blasted things first. SG-1 will have a briefing at 0800 hours tomorrow. You'll then gate out using the co-ordinates which Ms Mal Doran provided, and hope that they take you where you're supposed to be going. Colonel Carter and the _George Hammond_ will meet with you on your arrival. They've been heading in that direction for several days now – I'm sure it won't surprise you to know that."

Mitchell grinned. "No sir."

"Very well." The General stood. "Tell the rest of your team to prepare themselves. Good luck!"

* * *

Vala stood in the Gateroom hoisting up her trousers again.

Daniel angled his head at her and frowned.

"They're not comfortable, Daniel!" she snapped, yanking at the belt and almost pulling the buckle off.

"Now then, Princess," Mitchell came up behind her as the first chevron locked. Walter called it from the control room.

Patiently, Dr Jackson tugged his beloved towards him, fiddled with her midriff area and gently pushed her away again.

"Thank you," Mollified, she blinked up at him.

He shook his head at her, smiling.

The fourth and fifth chevrons encoded. Teal'c adjusted his hold on his staff weapon, which he'd decided to get out of mothballs for the mission.

"I sure would like to get the chance to fire that sometime," said young Redwell, to the Jaffa, who smiled and inclined his head.

"It will be an honour to teach you, LieutenantRedwell," he told him. "I look forward to it on our return."

The young lieutenant looked positively chuffed as the seventh chevron locked and they all moved up the ramp.

Landry was watching from the control room, as was his daughter. She glared down at Vala, who waved prettily up in her direction.

"Daniel has the list!" the doctor warned. "If you disobey any of those rules, I'm grounding you – I mean it!"

"I can't hear you, Carolyn," The incorrigible alien walked sideways through the event horizon, still waving.

Dr Lam shook her head, smiling ruefully.

Mitchell paused and looked back up, just before he went through. He nodded up to Carolyn, and half did a salute to her.

She blushed slightly and lifted her hand to wave back before she realised that her father was watching interestedly. Quickly she turned and left, smirking slightly, glad that Hank couldn't see how red her cheeks had gone.

Cam pretended he was going to scratch his head, saluted the general properly and followed his team through the 'gate, thinking that he was lucky to have got away with that one.

Hank grinned and shook his head, wondering if those two thought he was born yesterday. He didn't get to be a general from sitting doing crosswords all day, y'know!

* * *

SG-1 stepped out of the Stargate into a large cobbled square, surrounded by neat white houses with dusky red roofs.

Teal'c and Redwell went to check out a market which was in progress at one end of the square, selling all manner of goods, including food.

Mitchell, Daniel and Vala headed off in the other direction towards a large, impressive-looking building at the far end of the plaza. As they approached, a worried looking official hurried down the steps outside.

"Can I help you, visitors?" he asked, rubbing his hands together and clearly uneasy.

"Yeah, I hope." Mitchell's senses were on alert – he scanned the entrance and surrounding area constantly, but could see nothing untoward as yet. "We're looking for the 'City of Light' – can you tell us if it's around here?"

"Ah – ah yes, the City of Light – yes. Well, visitors, I'm afraid that admission to this area is not permitted at this time. Regulations – in the current political climate – you understand?"

Mitchell looked sceptical.

Vala opened her mouth as if she was going to speak, until Daniel elbowed her in the ribs. She gasped, tears springing to her eyes – he'd dug into her right over two of her healed wounds.

"I'm so sorry!" he whispered, as soon as he realised what he'd done. "Sorry, I'm really sorry!"

Vala stuck her bottom lip out, pretending that it didn't hurt and turned her back on him. "Go away Daniel!" she hissed at him, stalking off across the square.

He felt terrible, but thought that he'd better stay with Mitchell. The archaeologist kept his eyes on her the whole time that he was listening to the colonel's conversation, however.

"Sure," drawled his commanding officer, arms folded. "We get it about the political climate – but how come the City's involved? I mean – it's just an old wives' tale, isn't it? Nuthin' really going on over there – say, where is it anyway?!

The official was looking more harassed by the second.

"Well, er – as you may know, we must protect the…the..er.."

"The crystals?" supplied Mitchell.

"Um – well, yes. The Aureoques." The official nodded.

Mitchell was aware that the poor man was beginning to sweat profusely. "Aureoques? That's what you call them? So, you're protecting them, right?"

The man nodded again.

"From who?"

Silence.

The colonel was beginning to realise that the man wasn't just worried, he was scared. He leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. "Are you being blackmailed?" He still couldn't see any sign of anyone sinister but the colonel was starting to get a very uneasy feeling that they were all being observed. "Someone watching us?"

The official's eyes flickered briefly to the right but he said nothing.

Mitchell's blue-eyed gaze was intent on the other man. "Where is the City?" he repeated.

"Not here!" The other man looked desperate. "I'm telling you the truth! I cannot say more," he added on a whisper.

Daniel turned form where he watched Vala play with a string of beads at one of the stalls.

"You don't have to fear us," he told the official. "We are peaceful explorers…"

Instantaneously four or five ex-Jaffa burst out of the building that the official had come from.

Mitchell went to pull out his gun but the first of the antagonists was upon him too quickly and knocked it out of his grasp, managing to punch him in the stomach at the same time. The colonel staggered, winded.

Daniel didn't move, apart from lifting his hands to allow another Jaffa to take the Zat gun from his leg holster. He caught sight of Vala being shepherded back across the square by two plain-clothed men – further away Teal'c was being unwilling induced to give up his staff weapon.

"Dammit, Jackson!" grumbled Mitchell, loudly. "Why is that every time you kick off with that 'peaceful explorers' speech, nothing peaceful ever comes of it?!"

* * *

SG-1 were escorted into what they learned was now the town hall, but had previously been some kind of Ori healing house. Vala pulled her mouth down when the leader of the gang mentioned the Ori. She caught the archaeologist's eye but didn't smile.

Daniel wanted to put his arms around her, partly to apologise for hurting her earlier, and partly to comfort her now. He was certain that she was thinking of Adria.

Daniel and Mitchell both tried to put their case across to their captors, but the leader was having none of it.

He told them in no uncertain terms that neither he nor any of his men owed allegiance to anyone in the galaxy, they worked for themselves. At the moment they were employed by the Lucian Alliance – he was quite happy to reveal that nugget of information, and also quite happy to inform them that they were in an Alliance-controlled city. He laughed when Daniel asked him about the City of Light.

"The dumb old man was right!" he laughed at them. "this planet shares an orbit with it's twin planet. There are two Stargates here, both with the same address. It's pot luck which one you come through on, and unfortunately for you, you came through the wrong one. Ha! Of course, it's easy to catch a transport to the twin planet – it's only there!"

He indicated out of the window, at what they had thought was a very large moon in close orbit.

"That's the twin planet?" asked Lt Redwell.

"Uh huh. Not that you'll be seeing it any time soon."

"And the crystals - the Aureoques are there?" Daniel squinted up into the sky.

"They might be. Not you'll be seeing them any time soon, either!"

And with that, they were marched out of the room and down into what looked like a large kitchen – cum – dining room, where they were left alone, but with two or three guards at each doorway.

* * *

An hour or two passed. Cam was laid on his back across the top of a huge wooden table, hands behind his head.

Lt Redwell was leaning up against one of the windows that looked out onto the square. They were at shoulder level for the captives, but on level with the ground outside.

Teal'c was positioned as near to one of the kitchen doorways as he could get.

Vala was sitting on a long trestle table, swinging her legs and looking bored. She winked at Daniel, who was pacing around the kitchen, reading and re-reading some scrap of parchment that he'd acquired from somewhere or other, and muttering to himself.

The archaeologist paused as he went past her and pulled her to the edge of the table, holding her close.

"Sorry that I hurt your side." Whispering into her neck, he felt his team mate smile against him.

"That's alright, darling," Vala kissed him below his ear, nibbling gently with her teeth.

"Stop it," Daniel grinned, rubbing his hands gently up and down her sides.

She looked away, trying to hide the flicker of pain across her face. It didn't work.

"Vala?" he looked intently into her eyes. He tried to open the zip on her combat vest but she carefully pushed his hands away.

"Leave it," she pushed the end of his nose with her finger, wrinkling her own at the same time. "It was an accident."

"Did I hurt you?" Daniel was aghast. Taking her face between his hands he looked distraught. "I'm so sorry!"

"Ah, pffft!" Vala flapped her hand at him. "I've had worse. I'll tell Carolyn it was your fault, anyway. What are you doing?"

He swung away toward one of the doorways.

"Daniel!" Vala called after him, jumping off of the table. Mitchell looked over then sat up.

"She's injured!" said Daniel, to the guards at the door. "She needs medical assistance! You need to bring a doctor!"

One of the Jaffa looked over disinterestedly.

"She doesn't look injured to me," he shrugged.

"I'm not!" Vala insisted.

"She is!" Daniel was adamant. He felt terribly guilty about hurting her earlier, albeit accidentally. But he was also aware that if they could get a doctor or somebody else into the room with them, the distraction could prove useful in aiding an escape attempt. He was at the bottom of the shallow step inside the door, the three Jaffa on the door formed a close knot. "Please! Bring us a doctor or someone. You have to do something!"

The first Jaffa laughed. "I'll do something," he said, pulling out a Zat'nik'tel and firing it point blank at the archaeologist. Daniel dropped like stone.

"Bastards!" yelled Vala, hurling herself down beside him and feeling for his pulse. It was there, beating under her fingers.

The three Jaffa on the door laughed, as did the others at the far end of the kitchen.

Teal'c approached quickly and pulled Daniel away from the doorway, lying him gently alongside the large table. He pulled off his BDU jacket and placed it carefully under his friend's head.

"Do not concern yourself unnecessarily, ValaMalDoran," he told the alien. "You know, as do I, that a single shot from a Zat'nik'tel will not cause permanent harm. DanielJackson will recover shortly."

Vala nodded. Her mouth was pressed together tightly and her eyes looked stormy.

Teal'c was aware of the waves of anger emanating from within her as Mitchell and Redwell came over and crouched beside them.

"What the heck are we gonna do now?" hissed their CO, looking severely put out. "How is it possible that this team can walk into trouble with it's eyes closed? Why is it always us that end up in crap like this?"

"And, ColonelMitchell," added Teal'c, as Colonel Samantha Carter materialised directly in front of them, "how is it that SG-1 always receive good fortune when they ultimately need it?"

Mitchell's face was a picture of ecstatic confusion.

"Hi guys!" Sam grinned brightly. "Need a hand?"

* * *

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12 Rumble In The Kitchen

**Chapter 12 Rumble In The Kitchen.**

* * *

Sam turned quickly towards the door nearest to them, as the three closest Jaffa immediately saw her and bundled into the kitchen.

Teal'c stood and put himself between their assailants and the other members of SG-1, all except Carter who leaped from the table towards a large pantry area, disappearing inside.

Vala tried to stand, only to have her belt buckle finally give out – it pinged apart as her trousers slipped down past her hips. She caught the hem under her boot, staggered and knocked into Teal'c, who had just successfully punched one of the enemy right in the face. His arm twitched momentarily, enough to make the next Jaffa's staff weapon go off at a wonky angle.

Mitchell, on his way to the other end of the kitchen with Lt Redwell, was hit by a ricochet from the aforementioned weapon – his poor backside was severely impeded by several large, wooden splinters entering it at great speed.

"Jeez!" he yelled, falling, grabbing at his rear end and dragging off the table cloth on the central table as he fell.

"Oh, poor Cameron!" Vala said, concerned, as Teal'c unceremoniously shoved her backwards into the chimney recess.

"Redwell!" yelled Sam, and hurled some kind of potato-like vegetable at the young lieutenant, who promptly threw it at the Jaffa nearest to him, knocking the man on the nose. Disorientated, the Jaffa dropped his open staff weapon, which Redwell picked up and fired off wildly, taking out the next warrior at point blank range.

The potato-concussed Jaffa, shaking his head, pulled a Zat gun and aimed for the back of Teal' and the SGC-s' larger alien operative stumbled, dropping the staff weapon which the ricochet-inducing Jaffa had lost – quick as a wink Vala picked it up and whacked another warrior smartly over the head with it.

Redwell was also on his backside on the floor – the excitement of firing the staff weapon had sent him shooting backwards across the kitchen.

The Jaffa with the Zat gun turned and aimed it at the young man, only to be foiled by Sam and another well-aimed vegetable missile. He turned but the colonel had ducked back into the pantry – she'd given Simon the time to shake the staff weapon, realise he couldn't open it, so use it instead to knock the other man's feet out from under him.

Vala came crawling out from underneath the table wielding a large frying pan, which she used to quickly despatch Redwell's attacker into the land of Nod. His Zat gun skittered away across the floor.

"Thanks!" Redwell gasped.

"No problem, darling," she grinned, then ducked as the two Jaffa at the far doorway fired towards them.

"Fire in the hole!" Sam suddenly shouted, as a large china bottle came sailing out of the kitchen towards the antagonists who were heading towards Vala and Redwell.

"What's tha…" began the lieutenant, before being dragged further under the table by Vala – just as a wonderful home-made vinegar and baking powder bomb exploded all over the two Jaffa. They were immediately distracted - in the confusion Vala leaped at them with the frying pan, dispatching one with a hefty wallop while Redwell used the dropped Zat'nik'tel to take out the other one.

Vala smiled widely, holding up a hand. "High five!".

Redwell grinned and obliged.

Teal'c who'd managed to stay upright after the Zat shot hit him was in a fist fight with one of his attackers. The other Jaffa was busy shooting out the pantry windows where Sam was hiding.

"Frying pan!" Redwell said.

Vala handed it to him, the young soldier hurled it at the trigger happy chap who was by now advancing towards the pantry.

Another home-made bomb came flying out of the broken window, which exploded nicely all up the legs and torso of their attacker. He only looked down for a second, but that was long enough for Mitchell, still lying in some considerable amount of pain on the floor, to shoot through one of the ropes on a wooden drying rack, suspended from the ceiling. It came crashing down and knocked out the unsuspecting Jaffa from behind.

Sam, grabbing the frying pan which lay discarded on the floor, came up behind the last remaining assailant, who was still busy with Teal'c. She paused, chose her moment, then brought the large piece of cookware smartly down on his head. He dropped to the floor in front of her.

They became aware of sounds of scuffles and gunfire elsewhere in the building.

Sam smiled, looking smug.

"You didn't think that I came on my own, did you?" she asked them. "I brought the cavalry with me too!"

Panting, they all looked around at each other, grinning.

"Did we do it? asked Redwell, looking rather dazed.

"We did,"Sam nodded, "and I suggest that we make good on that fact by getting the heck out of here!"

She put out her hand to help Mitchell up.

He grimaced and staggered. He really was in a substantial amount of pain, his BDU's were soaked with blood at the back.

"We need to get you up to the _Hammond_'s infirmary," Sam told him, ruefully.

He nodded, but still managed a smile. "Some fight though, eh?"

Vala rolled her eyes. "How would you know? You couldn't see it from down there!" but she came across and patted his arm sympathetically. "Poor Cameron – at least we don't have Carolyn with us this time! Some other poor doctor gets to check out your six instead."

He groaned, just as Daniel pushed himself up from where he'd been peacefully slumbering throughout the entire fight.

"Ugh – my head!" he moaned. "Er – what just happened?"

Vala crouched next to him and gave him a smacking big kiss on the lips.

"You slept through a fight that was nearly as much fun as the one which we had on the Prometheus, darling," she told him, pinching his cheek.

"Really?" he looked around at the devastation in the kitchen, impressed. "Did we win?"

"Oh yeah!" Sam smiled as she spoke into her radio. "Marks, this is Carter. Six to bring aboard."

"Roger that," said the young Major, as the kitchen disappeared around them.

* * *

It was early evening on the same day. The _George Hammond _had withdrawn from their original co-ordinates, so that the teams could de-brief and any injuries could be attended to.

Mitchell and Vala had both been sent to the infirmary – the poor colonel was having to lie on his front after having had some serious attention paid to his poor backside. The doctor in charge had behaved very professionally while removing any splinters and performing the suturing – it's a shame that the same couldn't be said of his team mates, who all sniggered conspicuously every time they looked at him.

The ex-space pirate's injuries were far less severe – one of the larger wounds on her side had partially opened up again – several paper stitches and a large dressing appeared to have done the trick.

Daniel came in as she was swigging down a dose of painkillers. He pulled a sombre face as he approached.

"I'm so sorry…" he began, but she interrupted.

"Oh, shush Daniel! It was an accident. Really. When people love each other and they apologise then it's forgotten. Now ssshhhh!" She put her finger to her lips, yanked him in close and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes.

He resisted the urge to squeeze her as tightly as possible and kiss the living daylights out of her – he didn't want to break her again, she was too precious. Instead he planted a chaste, if somewhat extended, kiss on her beautiful mouth. He could feel her smiling against him.

"Now go away," she told him. "Because I'm tired and I ache and my head hurts and I want to go to sleep. On my own. Just this time. But I still love you very, very, very much."

"I know you do." He cupped her cheek with his hand, kissed her again and went to leave, passing Mitchell on the way out, who was out cold.

Daniel smiled a guilty smile – well, anyone getting shot in the backside was kind of amusing. Even if it was one of your best friends.

He went to find Sam, who was in the cafeteria, and they sat together looking out of the window at the stars.

"I wonder if we ever did this on the _Odyssey_?" he said.

She raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her hot coffee. "Must have done – we were there for long enough."

"So, what went down in the rest of the de-brief?" asked Daniel.

"Interesting that you should ask," Sam replied. "well, most of the Jaffa from the old Healing House fought to the death. They're a stubborn people."

She shook her head, thinking of another stubborn but lovable Jaffa that they both knew well. "Those that were left surrendered. There's only a dozen or so of them. They're being taken to Dakara – I guess that's the best place for them. Their own kind can sort them out, or imprison them or – I don't know! It's hard enough trying to work out my own command, let alone worry about someone else's."

She took another sip of her coffee.

"The man who came out to see you was very apologetic afterwards – he's some kind of minister – and they seem keen to help us and rid themselves of the Alliance. We've checked out the twin planet too – no sign of the Alliance there at all, we can't take anything for granted though. I've left small squads of airmen down there on both planets, but to be honest we're going to have to bring over a whole lot more if we want to keep the bad guys from getting a foot hold back in here again."

Daniel rose his eyebrows in concern. "Will we need to come back?"

Sam shrugged. "Not sure. But if the crystals _are_ on the planet next to this, we're certainly going to need to get back in this area at some point in the future. Especially if we want to have control over who can use them. And we don't want to run the risk of having to endure a fire-fight with the Alliance every time that we roll up in this neck of the woods!"

"So we're heading back to earth now?" Daniel queried.

Sam shook her head. "No. We'll finish what we came here to do first. Teal'c and Lt Redwell are going back to the SGC through the Stargate to fill Landry in on what's been happening here, and hopefully bring back a squad from Earth to maintain a permanent presence here. I suppose that we'll know more when we've been to the other planet as well."

"Mmmm," Daniel took a long draft from his own coffee mug, "Well, I don't suppose we'll be visiting it for a day or so, not with Mitchell's butt being in the condition that it is!"

Sam giggled, then looked around guiltily. "Poor Cam – first the giant guinea pig and now this!"

"Like Vala said," grinned Daniel, "it's just as well that Carolyn's not with us this time!"

**TBC...**

* * *

It has long been my wish to write a story with a 'Comedy Frying Pan Incident' in it. I hope that you liked my efforts! And if anyone was born to wield a comedy frying pan, it's Vala!


	13. Chapter 13 Looking For The Light

**Chapter 13 Looking for the Light**

It was almost a week later before Colonel Mitchell's backside was in a position to undertake a mission of any kind. He endured being the butt - quite literally - of not only SG-1's jokes but almost everybody else on the _Hammond _as well. His team mates were all secretly very proud of him – Cameron was nothing if not a good sport.

Teal'c and Simon had gone back to the SGC to bring General Landry into the loop of what was happening at the other end of the galaxy. The Jaffa would then travel on to Dakara, to negotiate with his comrades on behalf of the Tau'ri, the SGC and the people of these oddly orbiting planets.

Daniel discovered that the two small worlds were called Kallios Prime and Kallios Lucem. He came onto the bridge a day or so later looking hopeful.

"Lucem is Latin for 'light'," he told Samantha.

So it was only Mitchell, Daniel and Vala who prepared to go down to the suface of the second planet a few days later, but just as they were about to leave Colonel Carter came sidling in, grinning, zipping up her combat vest.

"Joining the party?" Mitchell enquired, fiddling with the fastenings on his own vest pockets.

"If that's okay?" she asked, smiling.

Her fellow Colonel grinned. "The more the merrier," he decreed.

"I did ask Landry," Sam told him, "I reminded him that SG-1 tend to attract trouble like a magnet, and four of us going down there could only be better odds than three. Strangely enough, he agreed straight away!"

Mitchell shook his head, smiling, inwardly agreeing with every word.

Sam did a thumbs up to the technician at the transporter controls and in another moment all four of them were standing on the surface of Kallios Lucem.

If they'd expected to find a beautiful, glowing, light filled city they were sorely disappointed. The transporter beam had plonked them down in the middle of a drab little square, at the end of a dull looking street, in a glum coloured town. The houses were brown, and the roofs were brown – the cobbles on the roadway were brown, even the steps around the Stargate, which was visible in some kind of parkland in the distance looked brown. The front doors had been painted in different colours, and there were plants in pots and trees scattered about, but even these couldn't cheer up the whole 'brown-ness' of this little world. The gloomy colour seeped everywhere and made everything else seemed washed out.

The people seemed cheerful enough however, welcoming them into their houses, showing them books and parchments and all the stone tablets that Daniel could possibly wish for. Yes, they knew of the mine that held the crystals. Yes, they could take the team to the mine tomorrow – it was some distance away and a license was required to hire the local horses. The food was decent and the alcohol strange but palatable.

It seemed a pleasant place to live, and yet – and yet – there was something that Cameron couldn't put his finger on. He fell into talking with Sam about it – they both agreed it was almost as if something was missing.

Vala came up behind them as they were chatting. "I agree," she pulled at one of her hair bunches and twirled it between her fingers. "It's like, like – whatever happened was lost so long ago that no-one remembers even what it was."

"Yes…" Sam said, slowly. "Yes – I know what you mean."

"Maybe what they lost came out of the big hole in the ground which Daniel's staring at," Vala added, conversationally.

"The what?" Carter's head whipped around at her.

"The big hole in the ground. There's another cobbled square behind the first one. It's even dingier than the first. It looks horrid. The houses are taller there – the man said it was originally the main square. Did I tell you about the man? The man who Daniel's talking to? He's not very interesting – he insists that this _is_ the City of Light, but there are no lights in it! No street lamps at all. He says that they weren't allowed. The Gou'ald didn't let them have outside lights – why do you suppose that this is? Did I say that the little square is horrible? And Daniel's being boring?"

She stopped yabbering at last, gazing with wide grey eyes at the other two.

"Hold on," Mitchell put his hand up. "Backtrack a minute there, Princess. What's in the ground?"

"Nothing," Vala shrugged. "There's a hole. Whatever _was_ there, isn't now."

The two Colonels' looked at each other.

"Can you show us where it is?" asked Sam.

- o - o -

Daniel was indeed standing looking at a large hole in the ground. It was perfectly round in shape, and looked to go down about three feet into the soil. At the bottom was a further small circle – Cameron couldn't quite catch sight of what it was – approximately twelve inches in diameter.

"What's at the bottom?" Sam asked, curious.

"For many, many years now there has been nothing in there," the local man told her. "But legend tells us that once the small basin at the bottom was full of crushed naquadah."

"Naquadah?" Daniel and Sam spoke together.

He nodded. "Yes. The Gou'ald forbade us to place any naquadah in there, ever. It was punishable by death."

"Why would they do that?" Vala enquired, peering down into the hole.

"To hide something." Daniel had taken his glasses off and was polishing them. Definitely a sign of some serious thinking going on in that beautiful head, thought his girlfriend.

"Hide something in that hole?" To say that Mitchell was puzzled would be an understatement.

The archaeologist shook his head. There was a gleam in his eyes. "No, no – not that. I think that they were hiding the whole world."

"What?" Mitchell screwed up his eyes, bemused.

His team mates, to a man, looked at Daniel as if he was bonkers. He gave them all that wide eyed look which he did so well. "Don't you see?" he continued excitedly. "This _is_ the City of Light! We know for sure now. But where are the lights? There are no lights anywhere outside. So every night, this planet is plunged into complete and utter darkness. It's hidden, in a way, don't you see? Metaphorically speaking! The Gou'ald _wanted_ to keep it hidden – because of the power of the lights!"

"Because of the weapons?" Mitchell asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Not fully. I mean, we know that you can use the crystals - the Aureogues - for weapons, and maybe that's what the Gou'ald also used them for, but what if they found out that they did something else as well? If their original use wasn't to make weapons with at all?"

"Because…" Sam said, slowly, "the people of this planet wouldn't have known anything about naquadria. It's only found on Kelowna. So if they were using the crystals for something…"

"They'd be using naquadah!" finished Daniel, triumphantly.

"Naquadah.." Mitchell rolled the word around his mouth, slowly. "And so..?"

"Lights! It makes perfect sense! The use of those crystals with naquadah was a source of lighting for this planet. And the Gou'ald forbade the people from doing this, because they wanted to use the crystals themselves to blend with naquadria and make weapons! I mean, I know we don't have any evidence that they ever used them in this way, but.."

"They probably found better technologies," Sam interjected, "but decided that it was better to keep these people in the dark anyway. Quite literally."

The local man was listening spellbound.

"We have much naquadah on this planet," he told them. "Our mines have plentiful supplies. And we have many, many of those small jewels which you seek. Many women wear them in jewellery now, we did not know of their true purpose!"

"Can you collect them all?" asked Daniel, excitedly. "Can you get people to bring as many as they can to the square, say, tomorrow evening?"

He nodded.

"Jackson?" Mitchell said, frowning.

"In the museum!" Daniel was almost dancing, he was so excited. "On Vala's planet! There was a large device there – with the map reader I borrowed from Shay - it would fit in the hole I'm sure. It had places for jewels too – well, I think it did. Around the edges – what if we brought it here? With some naquadah? See if it works?"

"Are you talking about that old piece of rubbish that's been stuck in the museum for mules' years?" Vala snorted. "That thing that looks like a cross between a squashed mushroom and a table?"

"Donkey's years?" Sam suggested, smiling.

The alien woman screwed up her nose. "Whatever. Donkey's, mules, asses – that's funny isn't it? Asses? On account of calling someone's backside an ass. So – is the animal named after a bum? Or is a bum named after an ass? They say 'bum' in England you know, not 'butt'. And they don't say 'ass' either they say –."

"Vala!" Daniel was scowling. "Back on track now!"

"Arse," retorted his girlfriend, loudly. "Anyway…." She narrowed her eyes at the archaeologist. "That thing in the museum - it's called the 'Lignum In Lucem'. Did you know that?"

Her beloved dropped his head to his chest, sighing, before he looked up, pulled her to him and kissed her soundly on the lips, one hand cupping her chin.

"Tree of Light," he told them, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Lignum In Lucem translates from Latin as 'Tree of Light'."

**TBC...**


	14. Chapter 14 The Uninteresting Exhibit

**Chapter 14 The Un-interesting Exhibit.**

Vala flatly refused to go back to her home world. She told them that nothing would induce her to set foot on the planet ever again, and nobody was going to change her mind.

Wisely, none of them tried to. Daniel took her aside, and held her closely for a long time. She didn't cry, but wrapped her arms tight around his waist, hiding her face against his shoulder.

"I don't want you to go either," she whispered. "Please can Mitchell go instead?"

Normally Daniel would have insisted on personally bringing back the artefact, but even his archaeologist's brain understood that there was real fear hiding behind the alien's refusal to go back home. Pick your battles, he had once heard General Hammond say.

"Okay," he kissed the top of her head gently. "Just for you. Just this time, okay?"

Vala nodded, with her head still burrowed into his chest. It was another few minutes before she felt brave enough to let go of him and pretend that she wasn't afraid and the memories of her own planet didn't bother her.

It all worked out well in the long run – the thought of riding on a horse for about six miles out to the crystal mine did not bring any joy to Mitchell and his still-tender backside. He was quite happy to go back to see Shay and ask to borrow the 'Tree of Light' with Colonel Carter.

And so early the next morning the team went their separate ways – two of them off through the Stargate and the other two to check out where the jewels came from.

Colonels Mitchell and Carter arrived on the planet peacefully and with no problems. The DHD had been mended since they were last there – it was just as well that the team had visited a few months earlier otherwise the Stargate might have remained broken for years before anyone realised. Sam and Cameron meandered their way slowly through the busy streets and passages of Vala's home world, heading towards the small museum.

Shay spotted them as they approached and came hurrying out, smiling broadly.

"SGC!" He shook Mitchell's hand heartily. "It is good to see you again. And how is Daniel Jackson?"

"Aww, he's fine," the Colonel told him. "Vala too. She's fine."

"She is well again?" Shay asked, eyes twinkling. "All healed?"

"Yup, all healed."

"That is most excellent news! I will tell Sonel – he will be happy indeed. Will you come in?" Shay indicated the interiror of the building.

"Sure," Mitchell indicated to the other man to lead on. "That's why we're here. Gotta proposition for you."

All three entered the little museum. The shadowed coolness of the interior was a pleasant change from the heat outside. Vala's elderly and unlikely knight in shining armour was sitting against the wall – when he was told of his friend's return to health Sonel's old face crinkled with a huge smile. He clapped his hands together, nodding his head.

"Good – is good! He is all well! Yes, yes he is. Yes?"

Sam patted the his hand.

"Yes, _she_is."

"Well….I hate to interrupt the party," Mitchell broke in on them, "but we're here to ask if we can borrow something from you guys."

"I think this will be allowed," Shay nodded. "What is it you wish for?"

Sam was already wandering around, looking for the Lignum in Lucem.

"There's another place – way across the galaxy from here," Mitchell told him. "the Lingnem – um, the Looseum – aww, heck, I dunno what Jackson calls it…"

"Lignum in Lucem," his fellow Colonel interjected. "I think that this is it." She was stood in front of the large, square, wok-like table artefact.

"Ah – of course!" Shay came over immediately. "Dr Jackson was looking at this for some time when he was here before. He also spoke of the City of Light – this piece was of that world, we thought."

"You'd be right," Sam ran her hands along the edge of the interesting antique. "We found it too – the City of Light. It _is_a real place."

"We need to take it home," Mitchell told the young man, apologetically. "I know it's been here for years, but it belongs to those other guys, 'way over there…" he waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the sky. "And we _really_ need to take it back to 'em. Even if it's only temporary."

Shay nodded slowly. "I see." He frowned. "We have always known that it was not of this world – I suppose it is only proper that it is returned to where it belongs."

"The people of Kallios Lucem may well be able to give you something in return," said Sam. "Another artefact to replace it."

Shay nodded again. "That would be kind. However, as I told Dr Jackson, we are able to also explore more for ourselves these days, now that the Gou'ald do not control us. No, it is right for this treasure to be returned to it's own people."

He paused. "However…." and frowned again.

"However…!" Sam prompted.

"There will be alot of forms to fill in to release this piece from the museum, I fear," he told them. "The small artefact which Dr Jackson originally borrowed was easy to loan out. But this – you understand – it is bigger, and more important. You may have to wait, to put a – a – an ask, you know?"

"An ask…you mean, request?" asked Mitchell.

Shay nodded. "Yes. And perhaps the council will say no. Even if I say it right for it to leave."

The two Colonels' looked at each other.

"The thing is," began Mitchell, "we kind of promised that we'd bring it back with us. Today."

Shay grinned suddenly, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Sirs," he said, indicating both of them. "How do you feel about the sin of thievery?"

o - o - o - o -

Sam suppressed a crazy urge to giggle. Mitchell stood next to a small hand held cart full of vegetables, supposedly just pushing it down to the market for Sonel. Hidden underneath was the Tree of Light and the column which it stood on. Her fellow Colonel was looking embarrassed.

"Heck, Sam," he grumbled to her, "I know I grew up on a farm, doesn't mean I wanna be a farmer!"

The blonde Colonel's grin widened. It probably wasn't the kind of mission her friend had had in mind when he joined the Air Force.

"Aww, shut up!" Cam told her, catching her eye.

Sam snorted a laugh, but relented. "Don't worry, Cam, I'll push it." She made her way over and lifted the handles. It was no larger or heavier than a wheelbarrow.

Shay exited the museum as she manoeuvred the cart to make it comfortable. He shook hands with both of the colonels'.

"Thank you," Sam smiled. "Really, thank you. And we'll keep in touch with you from now on. Look out for you. Allies."

"That would be very good, Colonel Carter," Shay gave a slight bow. "It has been a pleasure."

"We'll see if Jackson can steal you something from our neck of the woods to make up for us taking this," Mitchell added, nudging Sam away from the cart and lifting it himself. He winked at her. "My Grandma would never forgive me if I let a lady heft that."

She grinned. "Ok, let's go."

Just as they began to move away, the old man, Sonel appeared from inside the museum, waving his hand and calling in his own language.

"Oh heck, is he gonna bust us?" whispered Mitchell, looking around guiltily.

Shay spoke to the elderly man, then lifted his hand to the two Colonels' to ask them to wait. He took something from his workmate, was grinning broadly.

"Our friend Sonel has had a think – a think – come to him, yes, a think?"

"A thought?" Sam frowned.

"Yes – a thought! Of many years ago when he was a young man, and things were brought here – but not at the same time as the Lignum in Lucem. So he is thinking they are not together, you see?"

Mitchell didn't see, but he nodded vaguely.

"Only look! He brings these – he looks for them and finds them downstairs in the museum store. They are not – not interest worthy? You know? So nobody is looking at them. But he thinks now – well, you see?"

He opened the medium-sized cloth bag which Sonel had handed to him and tipped out what was in there onto the top of the vegetable cart.

"Holy Hannah!" Sam exclaimed, loudly.

There, lying in front of them, in perfect if dusty condition, was a collection of – she counted them quickly – forty five perfectly cut, perfectly sized, Aureoque crystals. They must be the ones which actually fitted the Tree of Light.

"They were here all the time," she whispered in wonder.

Mitchell was casing the area around them. He gestured to Shay to replace them in the bag. "Well Sam, I suggest that we get them out of here and take 'em to where they're meant to be, don't you?"

He nodded to the local man, clapped his shoulder, and started steering the glorified wheelbarrow in the direction of the Stargate.

Sam hugged Shay and Sonel quickly. "Thank you," she said to the old man, "and not just for the jewels. For Vala too – she's very precious to us. More than all the crystals put together."

Then she followed her fellow colonel down the street, looking back once and giving the two men a brief wave.

Daniel was going to explode when he saw what they had!

** TBC**

Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15 The City of Light

**Chapter 15 The City of Light**

Carter and Mitchell had no problems with getting the wheel barrow through the Stargate. They'd gone as far as the market place, paused, then just kind of meandered on their way – hoping that nobody thought it was odd that they were taking Sonel's vegetables _away _from all of the market stalls. If anybody had thought it strange then they hadn't mentioned it, and the two Colonels' dialled the DHD and took their precious cargo through without a hitch.

Daniel and Vala were still out at the mine – it was mid-afternoon before they came back.

Ms Mal Doran wasn't happy. Riding out six miles and back had made her side ache and she'd snapped and griped most of the way home.

This in turn made Daniel cross with Vala, firstly because she kept biting his head off, secondly once he realised she was moaning because her side hurt.

"You should have thought!" he growled at her. "You've already had one of those wounds open up again. Why don't you ever think ahead, Vala? Why is it always up to me to think these things through for you?"

"Shut up Daniel!" she shouted at him. "Sorry for wanting to help, and sorry for wanting to come with you, and sorry for just being generally annoying and getting in your way!"

The archaeologist sighed. His head dropped to his chest and he pinched the bridge of his nose. His horse, feeling him loosen the reins tossed it's mane and skittered across the path.

"Whoa there!" Daniel jiggled about in the saddle for a few moments before regaining control.

Vala couldn't help it – she laughed.

Daniel grinned wryly back at her. "C'mon," he reined his horse in and caught the bridle of hers' as she came alongside. "I'm sorry. Really. It's been a long day. Friends?"

"Friends." Vala patted his hand. "I'm not kissing you though darling, these horrible creatures move when you try to do anything. And if I lean too far I'll fall off and I'll hurt myself again, and then you and Carolyn will just moan more than ever. Which is unfair, especially as I told you about that ridiculous Lignum In Lucem thing in the first place."

Daniel smiled. "Let's just get back before either of us land on our butts from falling off of these things!"

When they arrived back Sam and Mitchell were already at work in the smaller square – the Lignum In Lucem was in two pieces on the ground and the forty five jewels lay spread out in rows on a sheet next to it. Two local men were assisting with arranging the naquadah in the bottom of the hole as Daniel came up and peered in.

Vala plopped down next to Samantha.

"Tired?" asked the blonde Colonel.

Vala nodded, wrinkling her nose. She lay down carefully on her good side next to the jewels. "Will these make it work?" she asked, picking one up and playing with it.

"We think so. It just can't be a coincidence that there are forty five of these and forty five places on the artefact itself. Plus – look over there!"

Sam pointed to where various people were hanging their necklaces and other pieces of jewellery on the walls and fronts of their houses. Every dwelling in the little square was festooned with the Aureoques.

"They've put them up all over the city," Sam told her friend. "If this thing works, then we're really going to know about it."

"Of course it'll work, I have ultimate faith in you," said Vala, rolling carefully onto her back. She closed her eyes. "Wake me up when Daniel stops talking."

- o – o – o -

Dr Jackson didn't stop talking for some considerable time, by which point Vala had fallen asleep on the cobblestones, one hand tucked behind her head and the last of the jewels held loosely in her lightly clasped fist.

Daniel crouched down next to her and smiled, gently pushing some stray strands of fringe out of her eyes.

Vala sighed in her dream and turned her head to the other side, not waking.

Daniel carefully took the Aureoque from her palm and slipped it into his pocket, for use later. He ran his finger softly down the side of Vala's face – her eyes flickered open.

"Sorry," he whispered, apologetically. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Vala smiled sleepily. "Come down here and go to sleep too," she told him.

"Not a hope!" Daniel grinned down at her. "You want my jacket for a pillow?"

"Mmm." Vala leaned up on her elbow briefly while Daniel slipped his jacket off, tucking it underneath her head as she flopped back down again.

"Only you could fall asleep in the middle of a busy cobbled square," he told her.

Vala didn't hear him. She'd turned onto her side and gone back to sleep.

Daniel grinned, kissed the tip of her ear – it was the easiest part of her to reach – and left her to rest.

- o – o – o -

When Vala awoke Teal'c was sitting cross legged close by.

"Muscles!" smiling in delight, she sat up awkwardly.

"ValaMalDoran," he acknowledged her, "It is good to see you."

"Has Daniel finished yabbering on yet?" Vala ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look half way neat.

"I believe so. The artefact from your home world is in place, and all is now ready for sundown."

Vala paused, eyeing her Jaffa friend speculatively.

"You think it'll work?" she asked him.

Teal'c raised one eyebrow but did not look unduly concerned. "DanielJackson and ColonelCarter have followed all of the instructions perfectly, in their restoration of the Tree of Light. If it _is_ the correct artefact, and it _is_ in the correct place, then I do not see why it will not work."

His fellow alien nodded slowly. "How long until sunset then, Muscles?"

Teal'c looked upwards at the sky. "I would say less than thirty minutes," he told her.

"Then let's go and see if we can find some chocolate first," Vala flashed a grin. "I'm starving!"

- o – o – o -

Aproximately forty five minutes later SG-1, minus young Redwell but plus Sam Carter, stood around the Lignum In Lucem, glancing nervously yet excitedly at each other. About two dozen local people had gathered around the edges of the square to see what was going to happen.

"If this doesn't work," Mitchell whispered to Sam, "then we are going to look beyond stupid!"

She grinned. "It'll work."

All of the dusky gold crystals were in place, except for the central one.

Vala pointed."Where is it? I didn't steal it! I haven't stolen anything from here. Yet. Daniel took it from me – Daniel's stolen it!"

"Hush!" he frowned at her. "Nobody's stolen it. It's right here." Taking it out of his pocket he waved it at her. "I was waiting for you."

"Me?" Vala looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"

Daniel leaned across the artefact and handed the jewel to her. "Because _you_ should be the one to put the last stone in place. It came from your home, and you put up with the most to get through this mission and make it a success. It's your call, Vala – you put it in."

Daniel smiled with such a tender expression on his face that Vala almost fell apart.

She tossed her head and rubbed her eyes with both hands, smiling tremulously back after a few moment. One small, silvery tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

"Well," Vala cleared her throat. "If you say so." She leant forward and placed the gem precisely in the central indentation.

A few seconds passed, then –

"Do you hear that?" asked Mitchell.

There was a low humming sound coming from directly below the Tree of Light. It increased in intensity but did not become unpleasant.

"You don't think it's going to blow up, do you?" whispered Vala to Sam, who pulled her mouth down slightly in a grimace.

Before the Colonel could reply, without any sparks or flashes or preamble of any kind, the entire artefact lit up. The brightness of the jewels made the team all step back and shield their eyes, but it was not an unpleasant light, and after awhile they found that they could look at it without ill effect. The light from the Aureoques rose up, creating a large arc, a dome of white, lustrous, sparkling beauty which stood out above the artefact itself by about three feet.

"It's beautiful," whispered Sam, awestruck.

"Indeed," added Teal'c, smiling.

"Look!" Vala pointed to the houses around the square. "Look at them all!"

The Aureoques that the local people had hung against the walls of the houses, all over the town, were alight too – glowing as white as diamonds, but as soft as snow. The whole place was ablaze – it was almost as bright as daylight. Every street and alley, every small cobbled square danced and sparkled with the glorious, wonderful light from the crystals.

"How is it doing that?" asked Cameron in awe.

"The naquadah." replied Sam. "The city is built on a vein of the mineral. Nearly every house must be connected to it – the energy runs down into the ground from the crystals and out through the naquadah to the houses."

"The City of Light." Daniel was smiling, grinning from ear to ear.

Vala rushed around the glowing table of jewels to throw her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered to him, overcome with the emotion of it all.

Daniel held her tightly and swung her, forgetting about wounds and stitches and plasters. Vala didn't appear to care – five seconds later and he was kissing her wholeheartedly right in front of the entire town.

The sound of Mitchell laughing broke them apart eventually.

Vala looked like the cat who'd had the cream.

Daniel looked rather embarrassed but made no effort to let go of his girlfriend. If anything he held on to her even tighter.

"So…" Sam was nodding and looking pleased. "The jewels certainly behave differently with the naquadah, as opposed to naquadria. It must be something to do with the way that the mineral has been altered artificially by the Gou'ald in the past. Subsequently, discoveries have been made which enabled the evolution of some kind of weapon, as opposed to the original, and if you like correct, use of the jewels. Now that was obviously to maintain a light source here, and possibly to harness other kinds of energy as well. Hopefully they'll allow us to to perform a whole range of tests not only on the crystals but the naqua…"

"Ach!" Mitchell did an excellent impression of General O'Neill. "Stop your yabbering Carter and just – just enjoy the moment!"

Sam grinned apologetically and stopped her excited babbling. Sitting down on a nearby bench she looked around at her fellow team members.

Teal'c was pacing slowly, hands clasped behind his back, face upturned to look at the jewels hanging on the walls.

Daniel and Vala were standing with their arms around each other, oblivious to anyone else nearby.

Mitchell was gazing at the Lignum in Lucem – as Sam watched he actually touched the edge of the dome of light with his finger tips. He looked stunned. "Not hot," he told her, awed. Gently, he tapped one of the jewels – it was cool. He shook his head in wonderment.

The locals were overjoyed – people were laughing and singing, shaking hands and clapping shoulders.

SG-1 had managed the near impossible – they had restored the City of Light.

**TBC**

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You've nearly reached the end! Well done for sticking with the story! Just a short epilogue which I'm going to post immediately. Thank you for following!


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The team were back at the SGC.

Samantha had brought back a bagful of Aureoques from Kallios Lucem, with the blessing of it's people, so that she could work and study them at her leisure. The _George Hammond_ had landed for several weeks, which allowed her to get busy with her deductions.

Vala was thrilled – she really missed her friend when she was off across the galaxy.

Daniel had piles of new books to study, thanks mainly to Shay and the museum, although he'd also managed to acquire some bits and pieces from the City of Light as well.

Cameron was busy writing reports, and attending meetings – next week Landry had told him he was off to Washington to meet up with Jack O'Neill and de-brief with the President.

It was the following Friday and the sound of a scheduled wormhole filled the SGC. Nobody acknowledged it – except Vala, who crept down to the control room. It was the weekly call from Atlantis. It always made her feel odd when she heard the Friday alert go off now. When she drew near to where Walter was busy monitoring the Stargate she stopped abruptly. It wasn't General Landry who was in there speaking, it was Daniel. Her heart plummeted. Her stomach knotted – she thought she might be sick. She turned and leant her face against the wall, closing her eyes.

Not again, she said to herself, please, not again. She repeated it over and over until someone touching her shoulder made her jump.

It was Daniel. "Hey," he looked concerned, touching her face gently. "What's up?"

She shook her head – her nonchalant, devil-may-care persona having a hard time fighting it's way to the surface. She put her hand to her mouth and shut her eyes, which were prickling. "Don't go," she managed to get out.

Daniel looked puzzled. "Don't go where?" he paused, waited, the penny dropped. "Hey – you think I'm going back to Atlantis?"

She nodded.

He hugged her tightly. "Never. Not without you anyway. I told you – I'm never, ever,_ ever _going anywhere without you again. Ever. Okay? I was talking to Sheppard, that's all. Asking him to oversee the shipping back of the last of my stuff."

Vala gave a wobbly smile. She took a deep breath. "If you want to go back, I'll come with you. Even though the city is the most boring city in the galaxy. In any galaxy. And Rodney hates me. But that's okay, because it's heaps of fun to annoy him. And Sheppard is sweet. And I like Teyla, but she's very sensible. I think that she thinks I'm a bit strange. And the food is odd – even odder than on Earth. But if you want to go – I'll come with you. And I will try to behave. And not steal anything. Although they do seem to have more ZPM's than us, which is rather unfair, so perhaps they wouldn't really miss one."

"Vala, you are not stealing a ZPM from Atlantis!" Daniel told her in no uncertain terms. "Anyway, I'm not going. I've arranged for several important Atlantean artefacts to be sent over so that I can study them here. Hey.." he tilted her chin up towards him. "Losing you was – well, it was like I was dead." His face was deadly serious, blue eyes clouded.

Vala felt humbled.

"I realised," Daniel continued, "when I thought it was too late – I'm so busy hunting for ancient treasures, well, sometimes – in fact mostly all of the time – well before you were lost anyway…Vala what I'm trying to say is – not all treasure is found in ancient temples and forgotten civilisations. The greatest treasure which I've ever found is here, right here, in my arms now. I was a fool not to realise it before. Then I thought that it was too late."

His girlfriend pulled herself as tightly against him as she could.

Daniel smiled mistily. "You are a far more precious treasure to me than anything that Atlantis has to offer," he told her. "And I want you to know that. Believe it in your heart, because it's true, and I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me."

Vala laid her head against his heart, not trusting herself to speak. They stood like that for a long time, until a stray airman on patrol came wandering towards them.

"Come on," the alien smiled, looking speculatively up the corridor, and tugged Daniel off in the direction of the closest check-in point. "I need to get myself another spare key-card, Landry took the last one!"

**THE END**

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Thank you to everyone who has followed this story! I loved writing it so much! And thank you for all of the wonderful reviews - they made me very happy - I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I have another story to put up soon, then after that Part Two of The Kelownan Incident! Yes, I'm not finished with the Aureoques yet! So keep your eyes (and notifications) peeled for updates!

Thanks so much again everyone :-)


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